[00:00:04]
WELL, I, SORRY, I'M GONNA WAIT JUST A SEC FOR COMMISSIONER.
[CALL TO ORDER]
QUORUMS. I'M GONNA, UM, GO AHEAD AND CALL A REGULAR MEETING TO ORDER.COMMISSIONER NEY? NO, SHE'S NOT HERE.
SO WE DON'T HAVE, WE DON'T QUITE HAVE I CARE.
AND WE DON'T HAVE CHARLA OR ANDERSON YET, BUT WE DO.
OH, SHARON, YOU DYED YOUR HAIR.
THAT'S WHY I KEPT CALLING NAMES
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON PRESENT.
SO WE DO HAVE QUORUM
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
PEOPLE, UM, SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UM, JESUS, DID YOU HAVE THAT LIST? YES.
UH, WE HAVE ONE PERSON WHO HAS SIGNED UP FOR, UH, WEBEX.
CAL OR COMMENT, HAVE THEY CHECKED IN? HELLO? CAN Y'ALL SEE ME? WE CANNOT.
I'M HERE TO SHARE AN UPDATE ON MY PUBLIC ART PROJECT FOR MARY MOORE SEAWRIGHT PARK.
IT'S A PART OF THE CORRIDOR REDEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
I WAS SELECTED AS ALTERNATE AND THEN FINAL CANDIDATE FOR THE, UH, OPPORTUNITY.
AS A FORMER CITY EMPLOYEE, I WAS A TEMP FOR FOUR YEARS.
I SAW FIRSTHAND THE DIFFICULT EXPERIENCES MY PEERS FACE, NAVIGATING THE TEMPO AND A IPP PROGRAMS. WHEN SIGNING MY CONTRACT, I EXPRESSED TREPIDATION ABOUT WORKING WITH THE CITY AND THAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE SET UP TO FAIL.
THEN CITY MANAGER, I'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT MANAGERS ON THE PROJECT.
CONSTANCE WHITE TOLD ME, CALL THEIR, YOUR SUCCESS IS OUR SUCCESS.
IN THE END, THE CITY DID FAIL ME.
UM, MY TEAM, SRO AND ASSOCIATES AND I PERFORMED OUR DUE DILIGENCE TO MEET DEADLINES REQUIRED BY THE CITY, BUT WE WERE LET DOWN BY DSD.
MY PROJECT WAS APPROVED FOR MID DESIGN, UM, IN NOVEMBER OF 2023.
IT WOULD TAKE AN ENTIRE YEAR BEFORE FINAL APPROVAL BECAUSE OF FOUR COMMUNICATION, UM, FROM DSD AND THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS AND CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, OR WHAT IS CALLED CORRIDOR.
UM, PLUS MANY DELAYED AND DEFUNCT PERMITS.
UM, IN DECEMBER OF 2024, FINAL DESIGNS WERE FINALLY APPROVED BY THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT, AND WE SCHEDULED THE INSTALL FOR APRIL 15TH.
WE WERE REQUIRED TO COMPLETE THE, UM, THE SCULPTURE, 50% OF IT BY MID-FEBRUARY.
A GOAL WE MET A IPP WAS IMPRESSED BY SRO, AN INCREDIBLE COLLABORATOR FOR YOU.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SAW AN OPPORTUNITY FOR FUTURE ARTISTS TO WORK WITH THIS GREAT COMPANY.
THE RELATIONSHIP HASN'T SOURED FOR ME, IT DEFINITELY HAS FOR FUTURE AUSTIN ARTISTS.
TWO WEEKS BEFORE WE WERE, I WAS PLANNING TO TRAVEL FROM KANSAS CITY TO AUSTIN FOR THE PROJECT, UM, TO INSTALL MY WORK.
THE PROJECT WAS CANCELED INDEFINITELY.
THE PERMITS OF THE SPONSOR DEPARTMENT WAS REQUIRED TO OBTAIN, WERE NEVER REQUESTED, AND NOW I'M BEING TOLD MY DRAWINGS WERE NEVER APPROVED OR ARE INADEQUATE.
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? THE WORK IS BUILT.
THE CITY NEEDS TO TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AND COVER THE EXTRA EXPENSES THAT HAVE INCURRED.
AT THE VERY LEAST, I HAVE LOST INCOME, TIME, AND THE ABILITY TO TRAVEL OR LIVE IN AUSTIN, MY HOMETOWN, BECAUSE OF THESE DELAYS.
FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, CORRIDOR HASN'T BEEN BEGUN CONSTRUCTION AT MY SITE.
THIS COULD TAKE UP TO A YEAR OR MORE BEFORE WE ARE APPROVED, AND I DO NOT HAVE ROOM IN MY BUDGET TO STORE THE WORK.
IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN MY DREAM TO BE A PUBLIC ARTIST.
I AM NAMED AFTER ALEXANDER CALDER, ONE OF THE MOST FAMOUS PUBLIC ARTISTS IN THE WORLD.
THIS PIECE IS BEAUTIFUL AND I CAN'T ENJOY THE MOMENT AND NEED IT FROM THE PUBLIC.
[00:05:01]
THIS EXPERIENCE HAS BROKEN MY HEART.HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS FOR HOW TO LIFT THE BURDEN OFF OF ARTISTS IN THE FUTURE.
YOU DO NOT REQUIRE $1 MILLION IN INSURANCE FROM THE ARTIST UNTIL THE FINAL DESIGN IS APPROVED.
THAT WAS $1,500 OF EXPENSES THAT I, UM, HAD TO PAY BEFORE GETTING TO THE FINAL DESIGN.
UM, ALLOCATE 50% OF FUNDS BY FINAL APPROVAL.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU ARE AWARE, BUT MANY ARTISTS ARE FRONTING THESE PROJECTS BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY ALLOCATED 25 TO 35% OF THE PROJECT, UM, BEFORE IT IS IN THE GROUND.
UH, DSD AND A IPP NEED TO WORK TOGETHER ON BUILDING A SEAMLESS COMMUNICATION SYSTEM FOR THE ART PERMIT PROCESS AND PROBABLY EXPLAIN BETTER TO SPONSOR DEPARTMENTS.
WHAT IS ART? HOW ARE WE WORKING WITH ARTISTS? AND, UM, THE AMOUNT OF LABOR THAT THEY PUT INTO THIS THAT ARE THE PAY.
UM, I HOPE THAT THE CITY WILL PAY FOR STORING THE OBJECT INDEFINITELY AND, UH, POTENTIALLY LOST INCOME OR RENT THAT I'VE HAD TO SUFFER AND SOMEBODY TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TAKE ACTION THAT WILL RESULT IN CHANGE FOR FUTURE ARTISTS.
UM, I'M SO SORRY TO HEAR THAT THIS IS HAPPENING.
WOULD YOU SEND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO, UH, THE COMMISSION AT THE CITY EMAIL ADDRESS? UM, SURE.
IS THAT TO, UH, JESUS DIRECTLY OR IS THERE ANOTHER JESUS VA WILL, WILL BE ABLE TO DISTRIBUTE IT TO THE WHOLE COMMISSION.
THANK YOU UHHUH COMMISSIONERS.
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER
I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER CINI HAS JOINED THE DIOCESE.
UH, PLEASE SEND THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO JESUS BAR.
ALRIGHT, I JUST WANNA SAY IF I MAY, GINA, UH, CALDER, YOUR WORK IS SO BEAUTIFUL.
MY SON, UH, BECAME A YOUNG BUDDING ARTIST BECAUSE OF YOUR SHOW AT THE LIBRARY.
SO SORRY THIS HAPPENED TO YOU.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DISCUSS IN PUBLIC COMMENT.
GOING NEXT IS NEXT PERSON ON THE LIST.
WE HAVE AMANDA JOHNSON FROM TORCH LITERARY ARTS, AND THEN NEXT UP WILL BE STEPHANIE PATRICK FROM EARLY ERA COLLECTIVE.
HELLO, MY NAME IS AMANDA JOHNSON.
I'M THE FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF TORCH LITERARY ARTS AND THE POET LAUREATE OF TEXAS.
I'D LIKE TO FIRST THANK THE COMMISSIONERS AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION AND ACME STAFF FOR THE IMPORTANT AND NECESSARY WORK THEY DO TO SUPPORT AND INVEST IN OUR VIBRANT ARTS COMMUNITY.
TORCH LITERARY ARTS HAS THRIVED WITH SUPPORT FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN BY WAY OF THE THRIVE GRANT, WHICH FUNDED US AT A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN OUR ORGANIZATION'S GROWTH.
THE THRIVE GRANT ALLOWED TORCH TO HIRE ITS FIRST EVER FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STAFF MEMBERS DELIVER OVER 80 EVENTS ANNUALLY AND PAY OVER $90,000 TO ARTISTS AND INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS.
JUST LAST YEAR, THOUSANDS OF ATTENDEES ENJOY OUR PROGRAMS, AND OVER 300 PARTICIPANTS HAVE RECEIVED FREE EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP THEIR LITERARY CAREERS.
THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATIONS NUMBER 2 0 2 5 0 2 2 4 DASH ZERO ONE, THAT ARE BEING, UH, REVIEWED FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION WORKING GROUP, UH, ARE THREAT TO TORCH LITERARY ARTS AND LIMIT SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS ACCESS TO CITY FUNDING ORGANIZATIONS WITH LESS THAN $500,000 IN ANNUAL REVENUE.
ORGANIZATIONS LIKE TORCH SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WILL DEVASTATE TORCH INCLUDE LIMITING ACCESS TO THRIVE TO ONLY TWO CYCLES WITHIN SIX YEARS.
THIS WOULD MEAN THAT TORCH IS BLOCKED FROM THIS VITAL FUNDING SOURCE UNTIL 2029, REQUIRING A ONE-TO-ONE MATCH IN FUNDS WITH MAJOR FUNDING SOURCES LIKE THE NEA TERMINATING TORCHES GRANT, AND INDIVIDUAL DONORS BEING IMPACTED BY INCREASED FINANCIAL STRAINS.
THE FUNDING POOL FOR MATCHES WILL PRIORITIZE LARGER ORGANIZATIONS WITH A COMMUNITY OF DONORS WHO HAVE MORE SPENDABLE AND DISCRETIONARY INCOME.
OVER A THIRD OF TORCH COMMUNITY MEMBERS REPORT THAT THEY HAVE ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD INCOMES OF LESS THAN 25,000.
REMOVING LANGUAGE THAT ADDRESSES THE IMPACT ON UNDERREPRESENTED AND UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES FROM THE SCORING CRITERIA IS A STEP BACK FROM ACKNOWLEDGING THE HARMFUL HISTORICAL ISSUES THESE FUNDS WERE CREATED TO IMPART ADDRESS.
CALLING FOR AN UNDEFINED FUND FOR LEGACY ORGANIZATIONS CREATES A HIERARCHY THAT LACKS TRANSPARENCY AND INCREASES BARRIERS TO ENTRY FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED ORGANIZATIONS STRUGGLING TO BECOME SUSTAINABLE AND MEET THE LONG-TERM NEEDS OF THEIR COMMUNITIES.
TORCH LITERARY ARTS CENTERS THE NEEDS OF BLACK WOMEN WRITERS, A COMMUNITY THAT EXPERIENCES ACTIVE
[00:10:01]
THREATS OF ERASURE WITH INCREASED BOOK BANS AND THREATS TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND EXPRESSION.LITERARY ARTS ARE THE LEAST FUNDED AMONG THE ARTS LOCALLY AND NATIONALLY.
HOWEVER, LITERATURE BUILDS THE FUNDAMENTAL SKILLS FOR READING, LITERACY AND CRITICAL THINKING.
IF AUSTIN IS GOING TO THRIVE AS A PROGRESSIVE CITY, IT MUST BE A LITERATE CITY THAT VALUES READING AND WRITERS, ESPECIALLY THOSE MOST AT RISK OF BEING SILENCED WHO DARE TO CREATE WORKS THAT EDUCATE AND INSPIRE US ALL.
NEXT WE HAVE STEPHANIE PATRICK FROM EARLY ERA COLLECTIVE.
HI, UH, MY NAME IS STEPHANIE PATRICK.
I AM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR AND FOUNDER OF EARLY ERA COLLECTIVE.
WE A MULTI-FORM DANCE COMPANY BASED HERE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS.
UM, I MYSELF AM A BORN AND BRED AUSTINITE.
UM, I GREW UP DOING ALL OF MY DANCE AND ACTING AND SINGING TRAINING HERE IN AUSTIN BEFORE MOVING TO OTHER CITIES TO TRAIN, CHOREOGRAPH PROFESSIONALLY AND DANCE PROFESSIONALLY FOR OTHER, UH, COMPANIES.
AND THEN I MOVED BACK TO AUSTIN IN 2016, SPECIFICALLY TO START EARLY AIR COLLECTIVE HERE.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY A THRIVE RECIPIENT, AND I JUST WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THIS PROGRAM IS SO IMPORTANT TO, UM, EMERGING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS.
WE DID RECEIVE, UM, SOME SMALL GRANTS IN 2018 AND 2019 THAT WERE ABOUT 1500 OR $2,500 EACH.
UM, PAYING FOR ABOUT A QUARTER OF THE PRODUCTIONS THAT THEY WERE ALLOCATED TO.
THEN THE FUNDING CYCLE WAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MINE IN 2020.
WHILE THE PROGRAM WAS REORGANIZED FOR THREE YEARS, I WASN'T ABLE TO APPLY FOR THREE YEARS ON BEHALF OF EARLY ERA, AND THE ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE RECEIVING CORE FUNDING CONTINUED TO RECEIVE THAT FUNDING.
AFTER, UM, COMMUNITY REVISION AND SUPPORT, UM, ELEVATE AND NEXUS AND THRIVE, I APPLIED TO ALL THREE OF THEM FOR OUR COMPANY, CROSSING MY FINGERS AND DESPERATELY HOPING THAT WE WOULD RECEIVE FUNDING.
AND LUCKILY, WE DID RECEIVE AN ELEVATE GRANT IN 2023.
UM, WE RECEIVED A THRIVE GRANT IN 2025, AND THESE FUNDS HAVE JUST COMPLETELY TRANSFORMED OUR ORGANIZATION AND THE COMMUNITY AROUND OUR ORGANIZATION.
UM, INCLUDING WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, RAISE OUR $10 AN HOUR PAY FOR ARTISTS TO ARRANGE OF 23 TO 45 AN HOUR SO THAT OUR ARTISTS COULD, UM, SKIP OUT ON WORKING AT COFFEE SHOPS SO THAT THEY COULD COME TO REHEARSAL AND SHOWS.
UM, WE MOVED FROM HAVING SEVEN TO 10 ARTISTS WORKING WITH US ANNUALLY TO A HUNDRED ARTISTS WORKING WITH US ANNUALLY.
UM, THIS GAVE US OUR FIRST ACCESS TO THEATERS IN THE CITY, WHEREAS BEFORE WE WERE CONVERTING COFFEE SHOPS AND WAREHOUSES INTO PERFORMANCE SPACES.
UM, IT ALSO OPENED THE DOOR FOR NEW FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR US.
WE WERE ABLE TO APPLY FOR AN AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS GRANT, WHICH ALLOWED US TO TAKE ONE OF OUR CITY FUNDED PROJECTS TO, UM, A DIFFERENT STATE THAT WAS OUR FIRST OUT OF STATE PRODUCTION.
UM, WE'VE ALSO BEEN ABLE TO, UH, HIRE FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME STAFF, BRING BACK SOME COMMUNITY PROGRAMS THAT, UH, ALLOW PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR PERFORMANCE ARTISTS IN THE CITY.
UM, AND THIS YEAR WE'LL ALSO BE WORKING WITH, UH, A CONSULTANT TO HELP US CREATE A SUSTAINABILITY PLAN FOR OUR COMPANY.
UM, THE ARTS COMMISSION'S PROPOSED CHANGES WOULD NOT BE AN EVOLUTION, BUT A STEP BACK FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS.
THE PROPOSED FUNDING CAPS MATCH REQUIREMENTS AND RESTRICTIONS TO RECEIVING CONSISTENT FUNDING WOULD TAKE AWAY OUR ABILITY TO HAVE STAFF KEEP UNDERSERVED ARTISTS IN THE CITY THAT I LOVE SO MUCH, AND ALLOW FOR ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING AT ALL.
I HOPE THAT YOU CONSIDER, UM, MY STATEMENTS AND I'M HAPPY TO CONNECT WITH ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT MY FEEDBACK.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT COMMISSIONER MALDONADO AND COMMISSIONER CHARLA HAVE JOINED BY WEBEX.
NEXT WE HAVE, AND I ALSO, I NEGLECTED TO SAY THAT, UH, YOU HAVE AN ALLOTMENT OF THREE MINUTES AND A A BELL WILL GO OFF WHEN YOUR THREE MINUTES IS UP.
UH, NEXT WE HAVE MARGOT SAWYER, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE RACHEL KABAR FROM FORKLIFT.
HOW DO YOU DO? THANK YOU FOR, UM, LETTING ME, UH, COMMENT TODAY.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE.
I'M ONE OF THE FOUR ARTISTS OF THE ARTWORK WAS DEACCESSIONED FROM THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M, UM, UH, EMERITUS FACULTY MEMBER FROM UT JUST, UH, RETIRED, UH, LAST
[00:15:01]
YEAR AFTER 36 YEARS.AND, UM, GUGGENHEIM FELLOW, UH, UH, LAUREATE, YOU KNOW, SCULPTURE LAUREATE, UH, OF THE STATE OF TEXAS, THE FIRST BLACK FEMALE ARTIST TO EVER GET.
AND THAT'S THAT ACKNOWLEDGEMENT.
UM, I'M ALSO THE NIECE OF, UH, ERIN DOUGLAS, THE FORMER FOUNDER OF THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE.
SO I, UM, AFTER I SPOKE WITH ALL OF YOU, WE WENT INTO NEGOTIATIONS WITH ACME ACME WERE SEEMINGLY GONNA BE FANTASTIC.
IT CAME 16 DAYS BEFORE I HAD TO TAKE MY WORK DOWN.
UM, THE PRESSURE WAS ON, UM, UH, SUGGESTIONS OF WHERE MY WORK MIGHT FIT AT THE CANO CONVENTION CENTER THAT WERE COMING FROM A IPP WERE, UM, I, UM, JUST, UM, INAPPROPRIATE.
THERE WERE SUGGESTING EXTERIOR ARTWORK, UM, APPLICATIONS FOR AN INTERIOR WORK.
SO I HIRED A LAWYER AND WE WENT FORWARD, AS I THINK I TOLD YOU.
UM, I RATED MY RETIREMENT FUND TO PAY, TO TAKE DOWN MY WORK, UM, LEGALLY BY MY CONTRACT.
I HAD TO, UM, SAY THAT I COULD DO THAT.
THE, THE EARLIER, UM, CONTRACTS DIDN'T HAVE THAT.
UM, I THINK THEY'RE LOOKING AT CHANGING THOSE CONTRACTS NOW 'CAUSE THEY REALIZE IT WAS A BAD SITUATION.
UM, ANYWAY, COST ME $60,000 TO TAKE DOWN MY WORK.
DURING THE PROCESS OF TAKING IT DOWN, WHICH WAS THREE DAYS, I HAD A TEAM OF 10 PEOPLE, BIG SCISSOR LIFT, UH, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES.
AND THE CONVENTION CENTER WERE LIKE VULTURES.
THEY WATCHED EVERY SINGLE ART ELEMENT.
THERE WERE 270 ELEMENTS COMING DOWN.
THEY MADE NINE PAGES OF SPREADSHEETS.
THEY WERE RECORDING THE ARTWORK, DOING DUE DILIGENCE, BUT THEY WERE NOT, THEY WERE DOING DUE DILIGENCE ON MY DIME.
AND I BELIEVE THAT FOR THOSE THREE DAYS, UM, A IPP SHOULD PAY 30,000 OF THE 60,000 THAT I, UM, JUST SPENT.
ALSO, OF ALL THE WORK THAT I TOOK DOWN, UH, I THOUGHT AT THE BEGINNING THERE WERE GONNA BE 24 PIECES THAT WERE DAMAGED THAT I COULD SEE FROM THE GROUND THAT ENDED UP BEING, I THINK, 57 ARTWORKS THAT WERE DAMAGED.
AND SOME OF THEM WERE REALLY HIGH UP.
UM, SOME OF THEM WERE IN BAYS THAT I DIDN'T, I I JUST COULDN'T IMAGINE THAT THEY WOULD'VE BEEN DAMAGED, BUT THEY WERE DENTED, THEY WERE SCRATCHED.
AND SO I CAN'T SHOW THAT WORK IN A GALLERY WHERE SOMEONE'S EYES ARE GONNA BE CLOSE IN.
AND, UM, I HAVE A RECORD FROM 2007 WHEN THE, WHERE I APPROACHED A IPP, THAT THE ARTWORK WAS DAMAGED, 707 AND A HALF THOUSAND DOLLARS.
ANYWAY, I BELIEVE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER CENTER ALSO SHOULD PAY MONEY FOR THE DAMAGES THAT I'M SUGGESTING.
THE LAWYERS, UM, ENDED UP WITH NOTHING.
I'M THE ONE HOLDING ALL THIS DEBT AND A DAMAGED ARTWORK.
AND IT, IT LOOKS REALLY BADLY ON THE CITY OF AUSTIN WHO SHOULD BE CARING ABOUT ART ALL THE TIME.
I TOOK DOWN MY WORK THE COM, THE A IPP STAFF SAID, YOU KNOW, THE ARTIST COMES FIRST, THE ARTWORK COMES FIRST.
WELL, THEY DO NOT, THEY ARE NOT.
THEY HAVE DROPPED THE BALL AND, UM, ARE NOT, UM, NOT SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THEIR MAJOR ARTISTS OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SO ANYWAY, SO I'M HAPPY TO SEND YOU, UM, A DOCUMENT THAT WOULD REFLECT THAT, BUT TO HAVE YOUR ADVOCACY TO, UH, PRESSURE A IPP AND THE CONVENTION CENTER TO, UM, AND, AND ACME TO DO GOOD.
IF YOU WILL SEND ANY DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE TO JESUS
NEXT WE HAVE RACHEL GKI WITH FORKLIFT.
PLEASE, UH, FORGIVE ME IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING YOUR NAME FROM FORKLIFT.
CAN WE ONLINE, IS IT SOMEONE ONLINE? NO, SHE'S, IT WAS SIGNED UP IN PERSON.
SO LET'S MOVE TO ZACH ZOL FROM ALMOST REAL THINGS AND THEN MARISSA RIVERA FROM SIMS FOUNDATION.
HELLO, I'M ZACH ZOL, VISUAL ARTIST, MUSICIAN, CO-FOUNDER OF ALMOST REAL THINGS.
COMMUNITY AND CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS HAVE HELPED US GROW AS A SMALL BUSINESS WITH ONLY TWO CORE MEMBERS.
AND THE SUPPORT WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN SO MANY OF OUR SUCCESSES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS.
MOST RECENTLY, OUR TOUCH, THE ART EXPERIENCE FUNDED IN PART BY THE ELEVATE GRANT.
THAT MONEY ALLOWED US TO PROGRAM A MONTH AND A HALF LONG EXPERIENCE, FAMILY FRIENDLY, IMMERSIVE.
[00:20:01]
BEEN VISITED BY OVER 1500 ATTENDEES SO FAR, BUILT BY 54 LOCAL ARTISTS, FIVE EIGHT WEEK ARTIST MENTORSHIPS IN COLLABORATION WITH THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS AT THE TEXAS SCHOOL FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED.AND IT'S ONLY OPEN FOR SIX MORE DAYS, STARTING THIS THURSDAY IF YOU WANNA COME VISIT.
BUT I'M HERE TO SPEAK TO THE CREATION OF ACME AND THE CHANGES BEING MADE THROUGH WHAT'S CALLED A CREATIVE RESET.
I ASK WHO IS CALLING FOR THESE SWEEPING CHANGES, BECAUSE I CAN ASSURE YOU IT'S NOT THE MAJORITY OF THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY GIVEN THE SHORT FEW WEEKS THAT ACME HAS EXISTED.
I AND THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, ALONG WITH ALMOST REAL THINGS AND PEOPLE THAT WE CHAT WITH A LOT, UH, UNDERSTAND THAT ACME HAS BEEN IMMEDIATELY BOOKED FOR MEETINGS BY DISGRUNTLED PARTIES.
I'M ASSUMING THEY'RE THE REASON FOR THESE SWEEPING CHANGES AND ACCELERATED TIMELINE.
SECOND QUESTION, CAN WE EXPECT A CREATIVE RESET EVERY TWO TO THREE YEARS? BECAUSE THIS DOES SEEM TO BE THE TREND.
AND I AGREE IT'S GOOD FOR PROCESSES TO PROGRESS, BUT A CREATIVE RESET IS SUCH STRONG LANGUAGE AND IT IMPLIES A COMPLETE OVERHAUL OF A SYSTEM THAT WE JUST LEARNED.
AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE HYPER-FOCUSED ON ACCESSIBILITY.
AND A RESET PUTS UNDUE STRAIN ON THE COMMUNITY ORGS THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO HELP.
THROUGH OUR COMMUNITY AMPLIFIER CONTRACT, WE HELP THE CITY WITH BROADER REACH, GRANT EDUCATION, MARKETING, AND FOCUS ON BUILDING TRUST AND TEACHING TALENTED CREATORS THAT THIS MONEY IS FOR THEM AND THEIR CULTURAL PROGRAMS. SO REDESIGNING THE SYSTEM ONCE AGAIN AT THE REQUEST OF A FEW PEOPLE IS A BETRAYAL OF THAT TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING.
AND I URGE YOU TO RECONSIDER THE TIMELINE HERE.
'CAUSE ACME DOES PRE PRESENT A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY.
IT'S JUST TOO MUCH TOO SOON, ESPECIALLY WITH THE COMMITMENT BEING REQUESTED FROM THE COMMUNITY.
OUR NETWORK OF SMALL BUSINESSES AND CREATORS DO NOT WANT MORE SWEEPING CHANGES RIGHT NOW.
WE WANT A STABLE SYSTEM THAT MAKES IT EASY TO SUCCEED.
THE CURRENT SYSTEM IS HEADED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH ITS INCLUSIVITY OF INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITY DRIVEN FOR-PROFIT COMPANIES.
WE JUST ASK FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY IN THE PROCESS AND A ROBUST OUTREACH PLAN SO WE CAN MAKE OUR VOICES HEARD AND MAKE THE SUCCESSES OF THE CURRENT GRANT SYSTEM KNOWN.
IF PEOPLE ARE ONLY GOING UP THERE AND COMPLAINING, WE NEED TO DO THE OPPOSITE.
SHOW ALL OF THE SUCCESSES AND ALL OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BENEFITED FROM GETTING GRANT FUNDING.
UH, PLEASE TAKE MORE TIME TO GET TO KNOW THE COMMUNITY BEFORE TELLING US THAT THINGS NEED TO CHANGE.
WE'LL NOW HAVE MARISSA RIVERA FROM SIMS FOUNDATION AND THEN BONNIE CULLUM FROM THE VORTEX.
MY NAME IS MARISA RIVERA AND I PROUDLY SERVE AS PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS FOR SIMS FOUNDATION.
FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, SIMS FOUNDATION PROVIDES LIFE-SAVING MENTAL HEALTH AND RECOVERY SERVICES TO AUSTIN'S MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS.
OUR ORGANIZATION HAS CARRIED FORTH THIS MISSION IN CENTRAL TEXAS FOR 30 YEARS.
AND IN FACT, JUST YESTERDAY, COUNCILMAN VELASQUEZ PRESENTED SIMS WITH THE CITY PROCLAMATION, RECOGNIZING OUR WORK AND IMPACT DURING OUR 30TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION AT EMPIRE GARAGE AND CONTROL ROOM.
THAT CELEBRATION NOT ONLY AMPLIFIED OUR MISSION, IT ALSO AMPLIFIED OUR ONGOING ASKS FOR PUBLIC SUPPORT OF THESE LIFESAVING SERVICES.
AND IT WAS LARGELY MADE POSSIBLE THROUGH AN ELEVATE GRANT WE RECEIVED FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
OUR ORGANIZATION IS SMALL BUT MIGHTY COMPRISING OF ONLY SEVEN STAFF MEMBERS WHO WORKED DILIGENTLY TO SEEK ONGOING FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AS WELL AS TO DELIVER CASE MANAGEMENT AND CLINICAL SERVICES TO NEARLY 800 MUSIC INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS HERE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
EACH YEAR, THE RAPID CHANGES THE ACME COMMISSION HAS PROPOSED TO THE GRANT APPLICATION SYSTEM ARE OF GREAT CONCERN TO US.
THE CURRENT GRANT APPLICATION SYSTEM HAS PROVEN TO BE TRANSPARENT, EQUITABLE, AND EASY TO NAVIGATE.
FOR OUR SMALL STAFF, THEY ALREADY CARRY THE BURDEN OF HAVING TO NAVIGATE RAPID AND OPAQUE FUNDING CHANGES IN THE HEALTHCARE AND MUSIC INDUSTRIES.
IT SADDENS AND WORRIES ME AS A LEADER THAT THIS COMMISSION IS PROPOSING CHANGES IN THE GRANTS MADE AVAILABLE TO OUR MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMUNITY WITH LITTLE INPUT FROM THE ARTISTS AND LEADERS WHO CONTINUE TO MAKE AND KEEP AUSTIN THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD.
PLAIN AND SIMPLE, OUR MUSIC INDUSTRY NEEDS STABLE SUPPORT FROM OUR HOMETOWN.
I HUMBLY ASK THIS COMMISSION TO CONSIDER INCREASED TRANSPARENCY ON GRANT TIMELINES AND PROCESSES, CLEAR STRATEGIC OUTREACH TO OUR MUSIC INDUSTRY COMMUNITY PRIOR TO ANY CHANGES BEING MADE.
AND LASTLY, FOR TRAINING AND SUPPORT DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO OUR COMMUNITY ON NAVIGATING CHANGES TO ANY GRANT SYSTEM.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
[00:25:01]
YOUR TIME, MS. MARRA.NOW WE'LL HAVE BONNIE CULLUM FROM THE VORTEX, AND THEN PIPER LIMON FROM R RONO ALLEGRE.
I'M A 40 YEAR AUSTIN RESIDENT AND CO-FOUNDER AND PRODU, UH, PRODUCING ARTISTIC DIRECTOR OF THE VORTEX SINCE 1988.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EVEN STEPPING FORWARD AS AN ARTS COMMISSION TO, UM, HELP TRY TO SORT OUT THE DISCREPANCIES IN THE VARIOUS STORIES AND CONCERNS THAT YOU'VE HEARD AND THE GREAT SUCCESS STORIES LIKE TORCH.
IT'S CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE'S NOT REALLY CONSENSUS FROM THIS COMMISSION OR FROM OUR COMMUNITIES AROUND, UM, THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UH, EVEN AS I WAS SERVING ON AN ADVISORY COMMITTEE, IT BECAME CLEAR TO ME THAT THERE WAS NOT CONSENSUS FROM EVEN THOSE OF US WHO WERE WORKING ON THAT WORK.
UM, A FEW THINGS I JUST WANTED TO SAY.
IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER WHAT WE CALL IT.
WE JUST REALLY WANT CLARITY AND FOCUS AND ATTENTION TO THE ART AND THE ARTISTS.
I AM CONCERNED ABOUT THE USE OF THE WORD LEGACY IN THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT IT MEANS, WHETHER IT'S AGE, EXPERIENCE, IT'S VERY TRIGGERING TO LOTS OF PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK WE REALLY OUGHT TO CONSIDER BALANCE BETWEEN LARGE AND SMALL BECAUSE ORGANIZATIONS LIKE MINE THAT PRODUCE A FULL YEAR OF WORK PLUS ALL THESE OTHER PEOPLE'S WORK ARE NOT THE SAME THING AS PEOPLE WHO ARE CREATING JUST ONE PROJECT IN THE YEAR.
I'VE, I'VE HAD MANY ONE PROJECT THINGS COME TO THE VORTEX AND BE VERY SUCCESSFUL.
I THINK WE NEED TO, AS MUCH AS I WOULD LOVE TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR OUR 37 SEASONS OF WORK, I THINK WHAT WE REALLY NEED IS SUPPORT OF OUR VENUES, OUR VENUES ESPECIALLY THAT ARE RUN BY NONPROFITS.
I'M VERY CONCERNED TO HEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE USING THEIR THRIVE MONEY TO EXPAND THEIR STAFFS, EXPAND THEIR PROGRAMMING, AND EXPAND THEIR VENUES.
WHEN IN POSSIBLY TWO YEARS TIME, THERE'S GONNA BE A STOP GAP TO THIS FUNDING AND THIS WILL ALL GO AWAY.
IF WE DON'T HAVE SUPPORT FOR OUR VENUES AND OUR STAFFS, IT JUST WON'T WORK.
I'M GONNA PAY $40,000 BACK TO THE CITY IN UTILITIES ALONE, JUST FOR THE VENUE.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST SERVING US, THAT'S SERVING DOZENS AND DOZENS OF OTHER ARTISTS AND ARTS GROUPS.
I THINK IT'S ENTIRELY USELESS AND UNSUSTAINABLE TO THEN GIVE GROUPS MONEY TO SUCCEED FOR TWO YEARS OR FOUR YEARS, AND THEN TO REMOVE THAT FUNDING THAT THAT'S JUST NOT GONNA WORK.
UM, OUR EXAMPLE IS THAT WE HAVE A DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION, JASMINE GAMES.
SHE'S BUILDING OUR EDUCATION PROGRAM TREMENDOUSLY.
WE'VE GOT ALL KINDS OF THINGS HAPPENING THAT WEREN'T HAPPENING BEFORE.
HER POSITION IS FUNDED BY OUR THRIVE GRANT.
SO I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT WE ARE OVERBUILDING THINGS THAT ARE NOT SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS, AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WE MAKE THEM SUSTAINABLE RATHER THAN MAKE THEM, UM, UH, NOT STABLE.
I'M GONNA BRING YOU SOME LITTLE CARDS.
THESE ARE ALL SHOWS THAT I'M NOT MAKING THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE VORTEX.
NOW WE'LL HAVE PIPER LAMO FROM RAND ROAD ALLERE.
FORGIVE ME IF I'M MISPRONOUNCING THAT.
AND THEN I HAVE SOMEONE FROM SOS SANDLOT.
UM, NOT SURE ON, IF YOU KNOW WHO THAT IS, THEN YOU'LL BE UP NEXT.
YOU WERE CLOSE ON THAT SECOND ONE.
YOU COULDN'T READ MY HANDWRITING.
UH, FOR THOSE OF US WHO DON'T KNOW US, WE'RE A SMALL GRASSROOTS, HOMEGROWN AUSTIN NONPROFIT DEDICATED TO PRESERVING AND PROMOTING JUNTO MUSIC.
NO ONE ELSE IN AUSTIN, LET ALONE NORTH OF SAN ANTONIO DOES WHAT WE DO FOR JUNTO MUSIC.
WE WERE ONE OF THE ORGANIZATIONS AFFECTED BY THE NEA CUTS AS WELL.
UH, WE JUST WRAPPED UP ANOTHER RANCHO, THE GREAT JUNTA FESTIVAL, OUR 10TH OVERALL, AND OUR SECOND AT THE HISTORIC BELOVED DORIS MILLER AUDITORIUM.
UH, WE DEEPLY APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT OF CULTURAL ARTS THROUGH AN ELEVATE GRANT, PARKS AND REC AND THE STELLAR CREW AT THE DORIS MILLER.
UH, WE ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO NEXT YEAR, BUT I WANNA SUGGEST SOMETHING TO YOU ALL THAT I BELIEVE WILL HELP GRANTEES LIKE RANCHO LEGER IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE LOVE HAVING THIS EVENT AT THE DORIS MILLER.
AND ASIDE FROM A FEW CHALLENGES THAT HAPPEN FROM BEING TAKING PLACE IN AN 80-YEAR-OLD
[00:30:01]
BUILDING, IT MEETS OUR NEEDS PERFECTLY.UM, EXCEPT FOR THE RESERVATION TIMELINE, WE BELIEVE THAT WITH THE CREATION OF THE ACME DEPARTMENT, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHANGE THIS.
RIGHT NOW, THE EARLIEST WE CAN REVER, WE CAN RESERVE THE DORIS MILLER IS ONLY SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO THE EVENT.
UNFORTUNATELY, THAT LIMITS THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE TO ADVERTISE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA ANNOUNCE THE DATE BEFORE WE HAVE THE EVENT.
THE VENUE, UH, UM, SECURED GIVING US ONLY SIX MONTHS TO TRULY PROMOTE THE EVENT SEVERELY LIMITS HOW WE MARKET TO NATIONAL AND REGIONAL TOURISTS, AND HOW WE ENGAGE WITH STATEWIDE MEDIA LIKE TEXAS MONTHLY, TEXAS, TEXAS HIGHWAYS, AND TEXAS COUNTRY REPORTER, FOR EXAMPLE.
ALL OF THOSE HAVE TOLD US THAT THEY NEED AT LEAST EIGHT MONTHS NOTICE TO GET THE EVENT ON THEIR EDITORIAL CALENDARS.
WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE FEATURED IN AUSTIN FREE EVENTS CALENDAR, FOR EXAMPLE, BUT WE COULDN'T GIVE THEM AN EXACT DATE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T RESERVE THE VENUE IN TIME.
SO WE MISSED OUT ON THAT PROMOTION AS WELL.
OUR PROPOSED SOLUTION IS PRETTY SIMPLE AND FINGERS CROSSED, SHOULD CAUSE NOT TOO MUCH HAVOC WITH THE WHOLE PARKS AND RECS RESERVATION SYSTEM ALLOW EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS LIKE OURS THAT ARE FUNDED BY CITY OF AUSTIN HOT FUNDS THROUGH EVENT OR THROUGH DEPARTMENTS LIKE ACME, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, CULTURAL ARTS, MUSIC, WHAT HAVE YOU, TO RESERVE DATES AT ALL CITY FACILITIES A YEAR IN ADVANCE.
ALL RESERVATIONS NOT FUNDED BY THE CITY SHOULD REMAIN AT SIX MONTHS BECAUSE THE CITY DOESN'T HAVE INVESTMENT IN THOSE.
THEY'RE JUST PAYING THE RENTAL FEES.
THIS WILL HELP US PERPETUATE THE HOT MONEY FUNDS BY ALLOWING US MORE TIME TO MARK US TO TOURISTS AND TO GENERATE STATEWIDE MEDIA ATTENTION.
THIS WILL HELP OUR EVENTS BECOME MORE SUCCESSFUL AND WELL ATTENDED.
AND, UM, WE'VE, I'VE ALREADY EMAILED THIS TO THE DORIS MILLER STAFF, THE CULTURAL ARTS STAFF EMAIL ADDRESS, THE NEW ACME OFFICE AND PARKS AND REC.
UH, I'LL ALSO BE PRESENTING THIS TO THE FUTURE MUSIC COMMISSION AND PARKS AND REC BOARD MEETINGS FOR CONSIDERATION AS WELL.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING HOW ACME CONTINUES TO TAKE SHAPE.
WE ALSO CONTINUE TO STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR FELLOW NONPROFITS AS WE LOOK FORWARD TO MORE, UM, FUNDING CHALLENGES.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MS. LIMO.
AND YOU SAID YOU ALREADY SENT THIS TO, UH, COMMISSION YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS? I HAVE SENT IT TO STAFF.
UM, I'LL BE PRESENTING IT TO MUSIC COMMISSION AND PARKS AND REC BOARD MEETINGS, BUT, UM, IT IS THROUGH EMAIL ALREADY.
IF YOU'LL MAKE SURE THE REST OF THE COMMISSION GETS THAT FULL.
UM, AND THEN SO S YOU'LL HAVE TO TELL US WHO YOU ARE.
I'M SORRY, I CAN'T READ YOUR WRITING.
UH, MY NAME IS JOELLE MONSO, UH, DISTRICT SEVEN.
I'M USUALLY HERE FOR THE, UH, PARKS BOARD MEETINGS.
I'M A BIG PARKS ADVOCATE, BUT, UM, I KNOW THIS ISN'T ON THE DISCUSSION.
UM, THIS MORE OF A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING UPDATE OF GO VALLEY CULTURAL DISTRICT BY DONALD JACKSON.
AND, UM, AS A BORN AND RAISED AUSTINITE, WE SEE A LOT OF CHANGE GOING ON HERE.
AND, UM, I WANT Y'ALL TO RECOGNIZE AND TAKE NOTE OF THE AUSTIN SANDLOT COMMUNITY, THE SANDLOT REVOLUTION.
WE JUST HAD A SUMMIT HERE, UM, BRINGING, WE INVITED ABOUT 110 PEOPLE FROM ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S TEAMS IN, UM, IN VANCOUVER.
THERE'S A TEAM IN MEXICO CITY, AND IT'S FILLED WITH A LOT OF ARTISTS, PRODUCERS, MUSICIANS, UM, CREATORS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP THE CULTURE THERE HERE IN EAST AUSTIN.
I'M ONE OF THE FEW PEOPLE IN THAT COMMUNITY OF MINORITY DESCENT AND A BORN AND RAISED AUSTINITE WITH ROOTS TO THE EAST SIDE.
UM, I SEE THE POSITIVE CHANGE.
UM, I HOPE Y'ALL CAN TAKE, TAKE CONSIDERATION.
I'M PRETTY SURE Y'ALL ALREADY HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS, BUT, UM, KEEP THE AUSTIN, UH, SANDLOT REVOLUTION IN Y'ALL'S MIND.
UM, AND WE'VE ALSO RAISED MONEY FOR FORKLIFT DANCE WORKS AT THE, UM, UM, LONG TIME.
THEY RAISED MONEY THIS PAST WEEK FOR SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
I DO ECO TOURS, UM, SOCO TOURS OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL FOR SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
I HELPED RUN THE CAPITAL TEXAS BASEBALL LEAGUE.
UH, BASEBALL IS ACTUALLY THE HARDEST ACTIVITY TO, UM, ACCESS IN THE CITY, AND IT'S AMERICA'S GREATEST PASTIME.
UM, UM, WE'VE WORKED FOR SIMS, I BELIEVE SO I SUPPORT ALL THESE NONPROFITS.
I SUPPORT ALL THESE ORGANIZATIONS.
I SUPPORT THE ARTS AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, UM, I WAS GONNA TELL THEM I DON'T, I HATE WASTING MY TIME DOWN HERE, BUT I STUCK AROUND.
I APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL DO AND, UM, Y'ALL HAVE A GOOD EVENING.
IS RACHEL FROM FORKLIFT BACK IN? SHE'S ON, UM, SHE'S ON WEBEX.
I AM RACHEL GRABOWSKI AND I AM THE ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNICATIONS AT FORKLIFT DANCE WORKS.
AND I'M HERE TODAY BECAUSE I WANTED TO INFORM EVERYONE THAT WE WERE RECENT, RECENTLY NOTIFIED THAT OUR NEA GRANT FOR THE WAY OF WATER MIAMI WAS TERMINATED EARLY DUE TO A SHIFT IN FEDERAL FUNDING
[00:35:01]
PRIORITIES.AND WHILE WE HAD ALREADY RECEIVED THE FULL AWARD AMOUNT, WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE BROADER IMPLICATIONS OF THIS CHANGE, PARTICULARLY FOR OUR PENDING GRANT PROPOSAL, WHICH WE SUBMITTED LAST JULY FOR THE WAY OF WATER, COLORADO RIVER, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE HERE IN AUSTIN THIS FALL.
THAT APPLICATION HAS BEEN IN REVIEW FOR NEARLY A YEAR WITH NO DECISION YET COMMUNICATED.
AND IT'S UNCLEAR HOW THE NEW PRIORITIES WILL AFFECT IT GIVEN THE RECENT TERMINATION EMAIL.
WE'RE DEEPLY CONCERNED, FORKLIFT HAS LONG RELIED ON NEA SUPPORT TO BRING COMMUNITY CENTERED PERFORMANCES TO LIFE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT PRIORITIES EVOLVE, BUT WE HOPE THAT THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE SPACE FOR CIVIC AND CULTURAL PROJECTS THAT FOSTER ART AND COMMUNITY AT THIS TIME OF FEDERAL FUNDING CUTS.
WE ARE ASKING THE ARTS COMMISSION TO ADVOCATE FOR OUR FELLOW ARTS ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE LOST FEDERAL FUNDING.
WE ALSO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT IT IS CRITICALLY IMPORTANT THAT THERE IS NO GAP IN CITY OF AUSTIN CULTURAL ARTS IN 2025.
WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE GRANT PROGRAMMING IS BEING REEVALUATED, AND THIS PROCESS MUST NOT DELAY FUNDING TO ARTISTS THIS CALENDAR YEAR.
WE ALSO ASK THAT THE ARTS COMMISSION CONTINUE TO LOBBY CITY LEADERSHIP FOR A DEEPER INVESTMENT IN AUSTIN ARTS AND CULTURAL COMMUNITIES.
WE, ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THE HEALTH OF THIS CITY IN COUNTLESS WAYS.
WE EXPECT OUR CITY LEADERSHIP TO TRULY INVEST AND SUPPORT THE LOCAL ARTISTS AND ARTS ORGANIZATION WHOSE WORK CONTINUES TO MAKE AUSTIN THE CITY THAT IT IS.
WE HAVE, UH, TWO OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON SPECIFIC AGENDA ITEMS, AND THEY'LL BE CALLED UP DURING THAT WHEN THOSE ITEMS ARE CAN YOU CALL HIM CHRIS? NOW SHE HAS TO LEAD.
CHRIS COWDEN FROM WOMEN IN THEIR WORK.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF WOMEN IN THEIR WORK, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS CHANCE TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT WHAT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS HAS DONE TO THE AUSTIN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS.
SO, IN ACTIONS THAT WERE REALLY WIDELY DESCRIBED AS A FRIDAY NIGHT MASSACRE, THE NEA WITHDREW PROMISE SUPPORT FROM ART ORGANIZATIONS, HUNDREDS OF THEM ACROSS THE US WOMEN IN THEIR WORK WAS DENIED $35,000, WHICH WAS VITAL FUNDING, WHICH WOULD'VE GONE FOR ARTIST FEES, WRITERS, VIDEOGRAPHERS, PHOTOGRAPHERS, PREPARATORS, AS WELL AS OTHER PRODUCTION COSTS FOR FIVE EXHIBITIONS.
THE NEA HAD ANNOUNCED IN A NATIONAL PRESS RELEASE ON JANUARY 14TH, 2025, THAT WE HAD ALL RECEIVED FUNDING FROM THE ENDOWMENT, AND THREE MONTHS LATER, THEY LATER THEY WITHDREW THIS FUNDING.
THIS HAS HAD A BIG IMPACT ON WOMEN IN THE WORK AS WE'D ALREADY SPENT THE MONEY AND WE NOW MUST SCRAMBLE TO REPLACE IT.
OVER A DOZEN ART ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN HAVE HAD THEIR FUNDING WITHDRAWN FROM THE NEA.
AND AS YOU KNOW, ALMOST ALL OF US ARE STRUGGLING COMING BACK FROM COVID AND THE LOSS OF MAJOR FUNDING SOURCES.
WE ARE NOW FACED WITH AN EVERMORE UNCERTAIN ECONOMY.
THE LOSS OF SIGNIFICANT NEA FUNDING IS YET ANOTHER BLOW TO THIS ART ECOSYSTEM IN AUSTIN, OF WHICH WE'RE ALL A PART OF.
YOU ALL WORK REALLY HARD TO SUPPORT ART AND AR ARTISTS IN AUSTIN, AND I KNOW THERE ARE HOPES THAT THIS LOST MONEY MIGHT BE REPLACED THAT HAS BEEN LOST BY THE NEA RE RECALLING IT.
PLEASE ALSO REMEMBER HOW IMPORTANT MONEY PROVIDED BY THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS FOR THE VERY SURVIVAL OF SO MANY ART ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN.
I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO.
WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING IN HERE TODAY.
UM, ZACH TRAGER, DID YOU WANNA GO AHEAD AND SPEAK NOW OR DID YOU WANNA WAIT UNTIL YOU'RE, WAIT UNTIL YOUR AGENDA ITEM.
SO THAT'S ALL WE HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT AT THIS TIME.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES ]
TO THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.HAS EVERYONE HAD A CHANCE TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? AND MAY I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE TO APPROVE.
MOVED BY SENATOR COMMISSIONER GRAY
CAN I GET A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER MACH.
I JUST WANNA MENTION THAT THE TWO ITEMS FOR, UH, FUTURE MEETINGS THAT ARE IN THE MINUTES, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET THOSE, UM, PRESENTATION SCHEDULED FOR THIS MEETING.
IT'S BEING WORKED ON FOR THE JUNE MEETING.
UM, SO WE JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN THAT WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT THE LONG CENTER CONTRACT AND WHAT THE, THE PLANS ARE ON THE CONVENTION CENTER CLOSING AND THE, THE,
[00:40:01]
WHAT THE PROJECTIONS ARE TO WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN THE, IN THE HOT TAX SITUATION.SO WE'VE GOT A SECOND END APPROVAL.
ALL IN FAVOR FOR APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL MEETING.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, IT'S UNANIMOUS.
[2. Report of the Art in Public Places Liaison concerning actions taking during the May 5, 2025 meeting of the Art in Public Places Panel by Commissioner Maldonado ]
NUMBER TWO, REPORT ON THE ART IN PUBLIC PLACES LIAISON CONCERNING ACTIONS TAKEN DURING THE MAY 5TH MEETING OF THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL.THAT'S GONNA BE BY COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
HI, CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN HEAR YOU, YES.
UM, FOR, FOR A IBP, OUR MEETING WAS MAY 5TH AND WE ONLY HAD, UH, TWO ACTION ITEMS, ONE OF THOSE BEING APPROVING THE SELECTION PROCESS FOR THE SUBSTANDARD STREET, A IPP PROJECT, WHICH WAS JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD AND THE ROSS ROAD PROJECTS.
AND SO THERE WERE TWO RECOMMENDATIONS MADE FOR EACH ROAD.
JOHNNY MORRIS WAS INER MARTOS, AND ROSS ROAD WAS EON ART.
AND BOTH OF THOSE PASSED A ITP.
SO YOU'LL PROBABLY BE SEEING THOSE HERE SOON.
AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, WE HAD ANOTHER ACTION ITEM ITEM, WHICH WAS WE HAD ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR AND OUR NEW CHAIRS, CHRISTIE AND SHEER, AND OUR VICE CHAIR ANDREW, UH, INGER.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO ACTION ITEMS FROM THE A ITP MEETING.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER MALDONADO.
[3. Staff briefing regarding update on the Economic and Cultural District Framework Policy by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager]
ITEM NUMBER THREE, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING UPDATE ON THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT FRAMEWORK POLICY BY MATTHEW SMIT, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.MET ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.
MY PRONOUNS ARE HE HIM, UH, HOLD ON UNTIL WE GET TO THAT FIRST SLIDE.
ALONG WITH MY ACTING CO, UH, DIVISION MANAGER DUTIES, I ALSO SERVE AS OUR LEAD ON OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT INITIATIVES, UH, CURRENTLY HOUSED WITHIN OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UH, SO WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON OUR CITY'S ECONOMIC CULTURAL DISTRICT POLICY.
AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'LL WALK THROUGH HOW THIS BODY PLAYS A ROLE IN EVALUATING AND SUPPORTING THE EMERGING CULTURAL DISTRICTS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
OH, I GUESS I CAN CONTROL IT HERE AS WELL.
UH, SO BACK IN SEPTEMBER, 2024, COUNCIL ADOPTED THE RESOLUTION 20 24 0 9 2 6 14, WHICH FORMALLY ESTABLISHED THE ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT POLICY.
UH, THE PURPOSE OF THIS FRAME FRAMEWORK IS TWOFOLD.
ONE, TO PROVIDE CLEAR COMMUNITY INFORMED GUIDE GUIDANCE TO IDENTIFY, ORGANIZE, AND RESOURCE OUR ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS, AND TO REINFORCE THE CITY'S LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT ON CULTURAL PRESERVATION, LOCAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY IDENTITY.
UH, THIS FRAMEWORK DOESN'T JUST FORMALIZE A PROCESS.
IT AFFIRMS THAT CULTURE AND PLACE MATTER IN HOW WE SHAPE OUR CITY.
IT PROVIDES A CONSISTENT AND EQUITABLE METHOD FOR HOW WE ACKNOWLEDGE AND INVEST IN DISTRICTS THAT REFLECT THE UNIQUE FABRIC IN AUSTIN.
OH MAN, IT DOESN'T WORK FOR ME.
SO WE CURRENTLY HAVE EIGHT ECONOMIC DISTRICTS AND FOUR CULTURAL DISTRICTS THAT HAVE BEEN RECOGNIZED THROUGH VARIOUS CITY AND STATE MECHANISMS. UH, THESE DISTRICTS ARE DEEPLY ROOTED IN COMMUNITY REPRESENTING MUSIC, ARTS, FOOD, ETHNIC HERITAGE, INNOVATION, HUBS, AND OTHER ASSETS THAT CONTRIBUTE TO AUSTIN'S ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL VITALITY.
IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT OUR EXISTING DISTRICTS WERE SHAPED BY DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, UH, SOME THROUGH CULTURAL TOURISM AND STRATEGIC PLANNING, SOME THROUGH OUR DISTRICT MANAGEMENT SERVICES AGREEMENTS, UH, AND SOME THROUGH COUNCIL DIRECTIVES.
UH, THIS FRAMEWORK HELPS US UNIFY EFFORTS MOVING FORWARD, ENSURING THAT FUTURE DISTRICTS ARE EVALUATED WITH CONSISTENCY AND TRANSPARENCY AND EQUITY.
SO WHAT IS Y'ALL'S ROLE IN ALL OF THIS? OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, INCLUDING THE ARTS COMMISSION, WILL SERVE AS KEY EVALUATORS AND ADVOCATES IN THIS PROCESS.
SPECIFICALLY, YOUR ROLE IS REVIEWING OUR CULTURAL DISTRICT PROPOSALS, EVALUATING ALIGNMENT WITH CITY GOALS, CULTURAL ASSET PRESENCE, AND COMMUNITY VALUE MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNCIL THROUGH THE OFFICIAL BOARDS AND REC COMMISSIONS PROCESS, AND SUPPORTING ONGOING MONITORING OF THE DISTRICT HEALTH, PERFORMANCE AND EQUITY OUTCOMES.
OUR INSIGHT AND PERSPECTIVE HELP ENSURE CULTURAL DISTRICTS REFLECT REAL COMMUNITY STORIES, NOT JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS.
[00:45:01]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.ACTUALLY WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, SO WHEN EVALUATING THESE PROPOSALS, WE ASK YOU TO HOLISTICALLY LOOK AT SEVERAL KEY FACTORS.
DOES THE DISTRICT AUTHENTIC, AUTHENTICALLY REFLECT A CULTURAL OR HISTORICAL STORY OF SIGNIFICANCE? ORGANIZATIONAL, UH, CAPACITY? IS THERE A MANAGING ENTITY OR ANCHOR ORGANIZATION PREPARED TO STEWARD THE LONG-TERM MANAGEMENT OF THE DISTRICT? UH, COMMUNITY SUPPORT? IS THERE DEMONSTRATED BUY-IN FROM RESIDENTS, CREATIVES, PROPERTY OWNERS, AND SMALL BUSINESSES? CULTURAL ASSET MAPPING? ARE THERE KEY ASSETS, SPACES, TRADITIONS, FESTIVALS, WELL-DOCUMENTED AND VISUALIZED ALIGNMENT WITH CITYWIDE PLANS? DOES THE PROPOSAL REFLECT THE GOALS OF IMAGINE AUSTIN, THE CULTURAL TOURISM PLAN, THRIVING IN PLACE AND OTHER STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AS WELL AS RESILIENCY? IS THERE A VISION FOR LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY, CULTURAL, ECONOMIC, AND EVEN CLIMATE RESILIENCY? UH, THESE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WILL ARE ENSURE THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING DISTRICTS NOT ONLY WITH PASSION AND HISTORY, BUT ALSO WITH INFRASTRUCTURE AND STRATEGY.
SO THAT CONCLUDES THE OVERVIEW.
I WANT TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR PARTNERSHIP IN THIS WORK.
YOUR INSIGHTS AND LEADERSHIP ARE CRUCIAL AS WE SHAPE THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN'S CULTURAL LANDSCAPE, MAKING SURE WE HONOR, LEGACY, PROMOTE EQUITY AND UPLIFT COMMUNITIES.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE OR HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON HOW WE MAY STRENGTHEN THIS PROCESS TOGETHER.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET A LIST OF WHEN THOSE DISTRICTS, UH, WERE SET? ABSOLUTELY, YES, THAT'D BE GREAT.
OUR MAP AND ONE OF OUR LISTS ON THE WEBSITE, AND WE'LL DISTRIBUTE IT HAS THE ESTABLISHED DATES, IT DOES HAVE THE DATES, THE DATES ALREADY FOR WHEN THOSE DISTRICTS WERE I'LL.
MATT, WHAT KIND OF RESOURCES ARE ONLINE FOR FOLKS WHO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN ORGANIZING FOR A CULTURAL OR ECONOMIC DISTRICT? LIKE DO YOU HAVE VIDEOS OR ANY, LIKE WHAT'S ONLINE THAT KIND OF WALKS PEOPLE THROUGH THE PROCESS? WE'RE PRETTY SLIM PICKINGS ON OUR ORGANIZATIONAL, UH, TOOLS.
WE ARE CURRENTLY STILL WORKING ON REVIEWING A CURRENT, UH, TOOLKIT, A SELF-STARTING TOOLKIT, WHICH WOULD GIVE A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE FOR ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS, UH, THAT MAY HAVE THE CAPACITY ON THEIR OWN TO DO THE ORGANIZING AND STRATEGIC PLANNING.
UH, I HOPE TO GET THAT LIVE ON OUR WEBSITE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UH, BUT OTHER THAN THAT, WE, WE JUST PROVIDE GENERAL GUIDANCE THROUGH CALLING OUR, OUR RESPECTIVE STAFF MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGH, UH, THE PROCEDURES THAT ARE PRESENT IN THE POLICY.
AND THE COMMISSION WILL BE CALLED ON TO APPROVE CONSIDERATION FOR NEW DISTRICTS OR EXPANSION OF EXISTING DISTRICTS.
YEAH, SO OUR VISION, AND WE'RE STILL WORKING OUT KIND OF ALL THE PROCESS.
THIS IS OUR FIRST KIND OF GO AROUND WITH OUR, OUR, THE NEXT PRESENTATION OF THE GO VALLEY CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
BUT OUR GOAL IS TO INVOLVE DISTRICTS OR THE COMMISSIONS THAT CLOSELY RELATE TO THE MISSIONS OF THOSE CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
SO IN THIS, UH, INSTANCE, THIS DISTRICT IS REALLY FOCUSED ON, UH, PRESERVING OUR ARTS AND CULTURAL SCENE.
UH, SO WE WANT THE ARTS COMMISSION TO PLAY A ROLE IN EVALUATING AND ALSO HOPEFULLY MAKING THAT RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UH, OF SUPPORT AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONERS? THANK YOU MATTHEW SMITH.
[4. Staff briefing regarding update on the Govalle Cultural District by Donald Jackson, Business Process Consultant and Zac Traeger, Executive Director of The Museum of Human Achievement]
TO ITEM NUMBER FOUR, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING UPDATE ON GO VALLEY CULTURAL DISTRICT BY DONALD JACKSON, BUSINESS PROCESS CONSULTANT AND ZAP TRAGER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.UM, DONALD JACKSON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, UM, MATT WAS JUST EXPLAINING THIS, UH, ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL DISTRICT'S POLICY.
UH, PART OF THAT INCLUDES ALLOWING FOR, UH, STAKEHOLDERS IN THE COMMUNITY TO SELF-ORGANIZE INTO, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICTS.
UH, I'M JUST HERE TO INTRODUCE, UH, ZACH, WHO IS THE, UH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE, UH, ONE OF THE, UH, FROM AN ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT IS SPONSORING THE, UH, GO VALLEY CULTURAL DISTRICT AS A, AS ONE OF THESE INITIATIVES.
I BROUGHT COOL CANDY
SO YEAH, I'M GONNA KEEP IT, UH, SHORT AND SWEET.
DO I, IS THERE A PLACE I CAN PICK UP? GO? NICE TRY THE TOUCH SCREEN
[00:50:01]
DID NOT WORK.UM, YEAH, SO HERE'S OUR CURRENT, UH, PROPOSED MAP.
WE'VE GOT ABOUT, UH, A HUNDRED DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIGNED ONTO THIS PETITION.
WE'VE BEEN REALLY INVOLVED IN TALKING TO THIS SCHOOL WHO'S REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE PROPOSAL AS WELL AS THEIR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
UM, IT IS A THRIVING, BY MY DEFINITION, I WOULD SAY THIS IS A THRIVING CULTURAL DISTRICT ALREADY.
WE'RE JUST MOVING THROUGH THE FORMAL PROCESS OF, UH, GETTING THAT RECOGNIZED BOTH ON A CITY AND STATE LEVEL.
SO WE'RE GOING THROUGH THESE TWO PROCESSES IN TANDEM THAT DO MIRROR EACH OTHER.
UH, YEAH, WE'VE GOT BIKE TEXAS.
IN THE CORNER THERE IS THAT LITTLE GREEN BIKE, UH, MOHA.
YOU SEE A LOT OF THOSE YELLOW DOTS.
THE SCHOOL, UH, YOU SEE ON THE TOP LEFT AND THEN THE 9 7 9 SPRINGDALE IS OVER ON THE RIGHT.
SO WE HAPPENED TO RUN IN SOME, I WAS LIKE, OH, I REALLY NEED A DRONE SHOT.
AND RIGHT THAT NIGHT MY FRIEND WAS LIKE, THERE'S A DRONE PHOTOGRAPHER RIGHT HERE.
AND, UH, HE PULLED A DRONE OUT OF HIS TRUNK AND WAS LIKE, I CAN DO THIS.
SO THAT IS A BRAND NEW, UH, NICE SHOT OF THE THING WITH THE, THE BOUNDARIES.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE NEW SCHOOL THERE AS WELL.
SO THESE, THE VISION AND, UH, HEADLINE WAS FROM, DO I HAVE THAT? YEAH.
WE'VE DONE THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS, ABOUT 35 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN THAT.
WE'VE DONE A BUNCH OF IN PERSON, ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEWS, NINE PHONE CALLS.
WE HAD A GOOGLE DOC THAT, UH, EVERYBODY WHO SIGNED THIS PETITION, UH, WE HAD LIVE, UH, EDITING PRIVILEGES ON, WE DID A SWOT ANALYSIS.
I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT STRENGTHS, WEAKNESSES, OPPORTUNITIES AND THREATS.
AND THEN THAT'S THE, UM, BREAKDOWN OF THE RESPONDENTS TO THAT SURVEY.
WHAT DO WE GOT? OH, THESE ARE JUST KINDA THE SUMMARY THEMES.
Y'ALL HAVE THE FULL, OR YOU SHOULD HAVE THE FULL PROPOSAL IN YOUR INBOXES.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THROUGH EACH ONE, BUT KINDA THE ONES I'M EXCITED ABOUT IS THE ABILITY TO WORK WITH THE SCHOOL FOR THEIR AFTER SCHOOL AND SUMMER PROGRAMS. UM, THEY, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE HEARD ABOUT ARTS INFRASTRUCTURE, WE ALSO KNOW THAT EDUCATIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS, UH, SEEING SUBSTANTIAL THREATS.
SO THEY'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW PARTNERSHIPS AND IT'S BEEN GREAT TO GET TO KNOW SOME OF THE NEW TEACHERS.
UM, CERTAINLY, UH, AFFORDABLE SPACE AND ARTISTS' RETENTION IS VERY IMPORTANT IN NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AS WELL AS ECONOMIC STABILITY.
UH, AND I LOVE A GOOD COMMUNITY LED PLANNING AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH, UH, BIKE TEXAS HAS BEEN A STRONG PARTNER IN THAT.
UH, THAT'S US BREAKING RIGHTS.
UH, THERE'S BREAD AND PUPPET THEATER DOING SOME PUPPETING IN THE PARKING LOT.
UH, WE DO A LOT OF FISCAL SPONSORSHIP.
WE HAVE A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE.
UH, THE, IN THE BEGINNING THIS CULTURAL DISTRICT WILL BE A FISCALLY SPONSORED PROJECT AND OPEN COLLECTIVE.
WE WON'T TAKE A FEE FOR THAT AS THAT'S PART OF OUR MISSION AND VISION.
UH, AND THEN THE HOPE IS THAT IT GROWS INTO A, A NON-PROFIT LIKE OUR OTHER CULTURAL DISTRICTS IN THE CITY.
A NICE SHOT OF THE NEW SCHOOL.
UM, THESE ARE THINGS WE'D BE ENGAGING IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE DO HAVE AN ITEM ON THE JUNE COUNCIL AGENDA.
SO THIS CAMP UPDATES, PLANNING ASSISTANCE, UH, DISTRICT AGREEMENTS, THOSE WOULD ALL BE NEXT STEPS.
UH, TCA DESIGNATION WOULD BE IN JUNE.
THEY LOVE AV ASSETS FOR TCA, SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
UH, AND THEN YEAH, JUST LIKE WORKING, FIGURING OUT HOW WE CAN WORK WITH A SD POTENTIALLY PRIVATE FOUNDATIONS, LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN THIS MORE, UM, FORMAL ORGANIZED WAY.
WE TRIED OUT SOME YOUTH PROGRAMS, YEARS.
ONE, TWO, TALK ABOUT FORT WALKABILITY.
WALKABILITY, CERTAINLY ACROSS SPRINGDALE AND EXPANSION INTO SPRINGDALE GENERAL, OR, UM, JUST TALKING TO A FRIEND ABOUT BASEBALL FIELD.
UM, YEAH, MAKING SURE THAT, UH, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND THE GROWTH OF THE DISTRICT IS REFLECTIVE OF THE COMMUNITY NEEDS AND VOICE.
WE ARE CERTAINLY ALIGNING WITH THE CITY'S GOALS.
UH, IT DOES UNLOCK SOME, I DUNNO, BOUNDARIES AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, I'M CERTAINLY EXPLORING WHAT THIS NEW MODEL IS, AND I WOULD SAY IT'S REPLICABLE.
AND, UH, YEAH, IF YOU CAN, UH, ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS YOU'VE GOT, YOU CAN STAY INVOLVED.
IF YOU LOVE WRITING MARKETING PLANS, I AM LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT IN THAT.
AND THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION QUESTIONS.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? COMMISSIONER CHENEY? MINE IS NOT A QUESTION, BUT MINE IS JUST, UM, TRANSPARENCY WISE, I AM INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT, SO I JUST WANTED EVERYBODY TO KNOW IF THERE'S GONNA BE VOTING INVOLVED IN IT.
I DO WANNA ADD THIS TIDBIT IN.
I WENT TO GO VALLEY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, SO THIS IS LIKE REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME.
I GREW UP ON NEAL STREET, UM, AND I TELL THIS STORY ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WALKING FROM MY HOUSE ON NEAL STREET TO THE GOODWILL BENDS AND LIKE CRAWLING THROUGH THE BROKEN FENCE AND THEN BUILDING FOR TREASURE
UM, AND AT THE TIME I DIDN'T KNOW FUSE BOX WAS AT, UM, I GUESS WHAT THE CANOPY IS NOW, THE BLUE THEATER.
UM, AND THEY HAD LIKE A LITTLE,
[00:55:01]
UM, BUILDING THERE.AND I REMEMBER I WOULD SEE THESE PEOPLE DOING WEIRD ART STUFF AND I WAS, YOU KNOW, I WAS LIKE 14 AND I WAS JUST ALWAYS LIKE, WHAT ARE THEY DOING? WHAT ARE THEY DOING? AND NOW MY OWN ORGANIZATION HAS STUDIOS AT CANOPY, SO IT'S REALLY FULL CIRCLE AND IT'S JUST, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S, I WAS TALKING TO MY FAMILY ABOUT IT THIS WEEKEND, LIKE, IT'S, IT'S KIND OF NUTS TO ME, LIKE IN A VERY EXCITING WAY.
SO I'M JUST REALLY EXCITED TO BE A PART OF THIS PROCESS AND OBVIOUSLY LIKE FULL SUPPORT AND ZACH AND MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT IS A GREAT ORGANIZATION, VERY TRANSPARENT.
SMALL THAT YOU MOSTLY ANSWERED, BUT THE QUESTION IS LIKE, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO SUPPORT YOU? AND I THINK IT IS WHEN IT COMES TO US, THAT IT WILL NEED TO GO THROUGH COUNCIL APPROVAL.
LIKE, ONCE IT'S READY TO BE OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED, JUST MAKING SURE I KNOW THE PROCESS AND WE COULD RECOMMEND LIKE, MAKE A FORMAL RECOMMENDATION ON THAT.
SO YEAH, I, I'LL NOTE THAT'S CURRENTLY SCHEDULED TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL IN JUNE.
UM, THIS, THIS PROCESS IS, AS MATT WAS SORT OF DESCRIBING, IS STILL BEING KIND OF WORKED OUT.
I THINK PROBABLY SOME ADDITIONAL TIME UPFRONT WOULD'VE BEEN GOOD TO MAKE SURE THERE ARE SOME MEETINGS IN ADVANCE.
BUT I THINK DEFINITELY GETTING THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE, UH, FROM THIS COMMISSION, UH, AT THE NEXT MEETING WOULD ALSO BE VALUABLE.
YES, I NOTICED YOU SAID YOU'VE HAD THREE MEETINGS SO FAR.
COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND 35 PARTICIPANTS WHO SHOWED UP ALTOGETHER.
UH, IS THAT A GOOD NUMBER? 'CAUSE 15 IN PERSON, BUT ABOUT A HUNDRED PEOPLE HAVE RESPONDED TO THE PETITION.
HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THOSE, UH, RESIDENTS OR ARE THOSE MAINLY
SO THERE'LL BE ARTIST STUDIOS, THE SCHOOL, THE PTA HAS BEEN REALLY INVOLVED.
PROPERTY OWNERS THAT TOUCH IT, UM, AS WELL AS NET SEVEN DOWN IN SPRINGDALE, WHICH IS GONNA BE MORE, BUT DON'T, ARE THESE RESIDENTS OR THE MM-HMM
BUSINESS OWNERS? MOST OF THEM PEOPLE, UH, BOTH.
SO THE RESIDENTS WOULD BE THE ONES THAT TOUCH THE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING ON THE BORDERS OF IT.
SO IT'S JUST ON THE, ON THE PERIMETERS? NOT NECESSARILY WITHIN, NOT YET.
SO FOR THE, SINCE WE'RE DOING THESE TWO APPLICATIONS IN TANDEM FOR THE TCA APPLICATION, THEY DON'T WANT PETITIONS OUTSIDE OF IT.
IT'S LIKE A FORMAL, I DON'T KNOW ANYBODY TOUCHING THESE BOUNDARIES IS THE ONES THAT THEY'RE SEEKING.
BUT IN TERMS OF INPUT AND MORE OUTREACH, WE DO INTEND MORE MEETINGS.
UM, CERTAINLY HAPPY FOR YOUR INPUT AND TO, I DON'T KNOW, NER WELL, I JUST REMEMBER, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER HERE, I ALSO HAVE A, A STRONG RELATION TO GO VALLEY SHOULD LIVE ON GO VALLEY STREET FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, NEIGHBORS DOWN THE STREET, UH, THOSE FOLKS AREN'T THERE ANYMORE.
UH, BUT I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, UH, WHAT KIND OF EFFORTS ARE YOU DOING TO REACH OUT, ESPECIALLY TO THE LONG TERM RESIDENTS? MM-HMM
THOSE HAVE BEEN THERE 30 YEARS OR MORE.
SO BOTH THE, UM, THE TWO DIFFERENT, THE CONTACT TEAM AND THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMISSION, UH, HAVE BEEN PART OF THE PROCESS.
UH, THE BOARD OF THE, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? THE TCA AND LIKE THE AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM HAS A LOT OF OVERLAP WITH THE, UM, I GET THE TWO MIXED UP, BUT THERE'S THE TWO DIFFERENT NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS.
THERE'S SHARE MEMBERS WITHIN THERE, BUT I'M FRIENDS WITHIN, IN CONTACT WITH BOTH NEIGHBORHOOD COUNCILS AND, UH, THE AFTERSCHOOL BOARD.
AND A LOT OF THE FOLKS, UH, ON THAT AFTERSCHOOL BOARD HAVE, UH, HOMES WITHIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
OR QUESTION? I JUST WANNA INTERJECT AND SAY TO KIND OF ECHO, THAT WAS KIND OF THE ONE OF MY FIRST THINGS, AND I ACTUALLY KNOW A LOT OF THE LONGSTANDING FAMILIES THAT ARE STILL IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD AND I EVEN VOLUNTEERED TO LIKE, GO WITH ZACH AND, AND TALK TO THEM.
SO I DO WANNA JUST SAY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S VERY THOUGHTFUL AND VERY MEANINGFUL.
AND SOMETHING THAT I'M VERY COGNIZANT ABOUT IS GENTRIFICATION BECAUSE MY FAMILY WAS ALSO DISPLACED.
SO IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY AT THE FOREFRONT OF THIS, UM, PROJECT.
WHICH IS WHY I'M EXCITED TO BE A PART OF IT.
AND I LIKE THE FACT YOU WERE REACHING OUT TO COMMUNITY MEMBERS DIRECTLY.
I REMEMBER THIS IS MAYBE 35 YEARS AGO OR SO, THERE'S A GROUP CALLED LUCHA USED TO BE DOWNTOWN AND ON EAST CAESAR CHAVEZ, EAST FIRST STREET.
AND WE'RE DOING A PUBLIC ART PROJECT AS WELL.
AND THE WAY WE DID IT, UH, WE WENT DOOR TO DOOR ASKING YOU FOLKS, UH, I'VE KNOWN A LOT OF TIMES TRY TO DO PUBLIC MEETINGS, BUT UNLESS YOU'RE NOT AN INSIDER MM-HMM
THE LONG-TERM RESIDENCE MAY NOT, UH, MAY HAVE SUSPICION AS TO WHAT YOUR ULTIMATE PURPOSE IS.
AS YOU CAN SEE WITH MY CANDY TACTIC, I HAVE ALSO, UH, EMPLOYED A COOKIE TACTIC IN MY OWN NEIGHBORHOOD.
BUT YES, DOOR TO DOOR HAS BEEN, UH, MORE RESPONSES.
'CAUSE I WOULD IMAGINE YEAH, DOOR TO DOOR YOU'D PROBABLY GET, UH, MORE YEAH.
HONEST ANSWERS AND YARD SIGNS HONESTLY HAVE BEEN, UH, ANOTHER WAY.
[01:00:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH.COMMISSIONER MALTO HAS TO REMIND YOU THAT IF YOUR CAMERA'S NOT ON, YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERED ON THE DAES.
[5. Staff briefing regarding an update on the Hotel Occupancy Tax by Matthew Schmidt, Acting Cultural Arts Division Manager ]
TO ITEM NUMBER FIVE, STAFF BREACHING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX BY MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.GOOD EVENING, ONCE AGAIN, COMMISSIONERS.
I'M MATTHEW SCHMIDT, ACTING CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION MANAGER.
UH, WITH THIS PRESENTATION, I'LL BE SHARING OUR LATEST HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION NUMBERS THROUGH APRIL, 2025.
THE TOTAL HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX COLLECTION IN APRIL WAS $34,223,840.
UH, THIS MEANS OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX CULTURAL ARTS FUND COLLECTION NUMBERS FOR APRIL WERE 2,858,000, UH, 334.
UH, WITH THESE APRIL NUMBERS, WE ARE APPROXIMATELY 64% TOWARDS OUR FY 25 APPROVED BUDGET.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A DELAY IN HOW HOT REPORTING HAPPENS.
UH, THIS PRESENTATION IN MAY SHOWS FUNDS COLLECTED IN APRIL FOR HOTEL STAYS IN MARCH.
SO AS A PART OF OUR ONGOING EFFORT TO STRENGTHEN ANALYSIS OF OUR HOTEL OCCUPANCY, TAX COLLECTION STAFF HAVE BEGUN IN COMPILING DATA ON SIGNIFICANT EVENTS THAT HAVE, HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO, UH, INCREASED TOURISM AND LODGING ACTIVITY.
UH, WHILE THIS LIST DOES NOT CAPTURE THE FULL SPECTRUM OF TOURISM DRIVING EVENTS, IT IS A FOUNDATIONAL STEP IN ENHANCING OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOT REVENUE TRENDS.
UH, SIGNIFICANT EVENTS IN MARCH, 2025 INCLUDE THE NASCAR CUP SERIES ON THE FIRST AND THE SECOND, UH, SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THAT RAN THROUGH THE SEVENTH, THROUGH THE FOUR 15TH RODEO AUSTIN, MARCH 14TH THROUGH THE 29TH.
OF COURSE SPRING BREAK, UH, IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH.
AND THEN OF COURSE, TRACKING UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS OR ANY OTHER INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETIC EVENTS, UH, THAT ARE OCCURRING IN THAT MONTH, WHICH WERE THE FIRST AND SECOND ROUNDS OF THE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT.
UH, AND TEXAS RELAYS IN 20 AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
KEY NOTES, UH, FOR, UH, MARCH IS ACCORDING TO AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTS TOTAL PASSENGER TRAFFIC IN MARCH, 2025 WAS ONE THOU 1,851,308.
UH, THAT REPRESENTED A 3.3% D DECREASE COMPARED TO MARCH, 2024, UH, BEGINNING IN APRIL, OR THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE.
THERE'S A LITTLE, THE AIR PASSENGER, UH, TOTALS ARE IN THE CORNER, KIND OF A LITTLE SMALL
SO, UH, BEGINNING ON, UH, ONE ANOTHER NOTE IS BEGINNING ON APRIL 1ST, 2025, UH, THAT IT WAS WHEN THE, UH, REQUIREMENT FOR SHORT-TERM RENTAL PLATFORMS SUCH AS AIRBNB AND VRBO ARE REQUIRED TO BEGIN COLLECTION OF THEIR, UH, HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX NUMBERS.
UH, SO THAT MAY IMPACT OUR FUTURE HOT COLLECTIONS.
UH, WE'LL HOPEFULLY SEE THAT IN THE NEXT, UH, ROUND OF REPORTS.
UH, THEN AN INTERESTING ARTICLE THAT WE RAN ACROSS IS THE WORLD TRAVEL AND TOURISM COUNCIL PROJECTS, THE US TO LOSE 12.5 BILLION IN TRAVEL REVENUE IN 2025.
UH, THAT IS A 7% DIP FROM LAST YEAR.
AND A 2020 0.5% DROP FROM 2019 WHEN INTERNATIONAL SPENDING REACHED A RECORD TO HUNDRED 17.4 BILLION.
UH, FURTHER EVENT SPECIFIC ANALYSIS AND OCCUPANCY TRA UH, TRENDS WILL BE PROVIDED AS ADDITIONAL DATA BECOMES AVAILABLE.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THIS WAS JUST OUR EFFORT TO START TRACKING SOME OF THESE MAJOR EVENTS SO THAT WE HAVE THIS ON RECORD.
UH, AGAIN, ANOTHER, UH, GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION.
THIS GRAPH CONTINUES TO SHOW OUR MONTHLY PROGRESS TOWARDS THE APPROVED BUDGET FOR FY 25.
OUR HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUNDS ACTUALS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 SO FAR ARE $10,029,439.
UH, AS A REMINDER, THE FUNDS COLLECTED IN FY 25 WILL BE USED FOR THE FUNDS, UH, PROGRAMS IN FISCAL YEAR 2026.
UH, WE ARE ALSO INCLUDING OUR CULTURAL ARTS FUND, UH, HOT COLLECTIONS BY QUARTER FOR THE PAST FEW FISCAL YEARS.
UH, JUST AS A REMINDER, WE ARE CURRENTLY $54,000 BELOW WHERE WE WERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR, BUT CLOSING THAT GAP MONTH BY MONTH.
AND I AM OPEN TO ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ADDING THOSE THINGS THAT WE ASKED FOR WITH THE, THE TRENDS AND THE, UM, CURRENT EVENTS OR PAST EVENTS.
UM, WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THIS IN OUR, UH, LAND USE WORKING GROUP ABOUT THE AUTO.
[01:05:01]
ARE WE CORRECT THAT ON STARTING APRIL 1ST? IT'S AN AUTOMATIC COLLECTION FROM THE PLATFORMS OF THE HOT MUNICIPAL PORTION OF THE HOT.SHOWING UP IN THE HOT COLLECTIONS WOULD'VE TO, YOU SAID SOMETHING THAT SOUNDED A LITTLE DIFFERENT, SO I WAS JUST MAKE SURE I WOULD'VE TO CONFIRM WHAT THAT ACTUALLY IS.
I THINK ALL I KNEW WAS THAT ON APRIL 1ST, THAT WAS WHEN THAT, UH, REQUIREMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO GO INTO EFFECT AND OKAY.
WHERE THOSE HOT COLLECTIONS GO.
THAT WOULD BE AWESOME TO FIGURE OUT.
'CAUSE WHAT WE UNDERSTOOD IS THAT IT'S AN AUTO, LIKE THE STATE IS AUTOMATICALLY, THE STATE PORTION IS AUTOMATICALLY REMITTED TO THE STATE FROM THE PLATFORMS. AND THAT MATTERS BECAUSE EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT LICENSED, IT WOULD STILL BE COLLECTING THE TAX IF IT'S ON THE PLATFORM.
SO THAT'S JUST LIKE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT OKAY, WELL WE SEE THAT AUTOMATICALLY, BUT THANK YOU FOR UPDATING ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE OTHER THING IS JUST THOSE NATIONAL TRENDS, AND THANK YOU FOR SPEAKING TO THOSE.
BUT JUST TO ANY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS OR CITY MANAGER THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING IS LIKE, THIS IS WHY WE CAN'T DEPEND EXCLUSIVELY ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX TO FUND ARTS AND CULTURE IN THE CITY.
'CAUSE IT'S GOING, IT PLA PLATEAUS AND NOW WE SEE IT'S GONNA GO DOWN.
WE NEED, WE NEED MORE OPTIONS.
JUST TO CLARIFY, SO THE, THE LAW WENT INTO EFFECT APRIL 1ST, SO WE SHOULD BE SEEING COLLECTION IN MAY FROM STATES IN APRIL AND THEN THAT WOULD BE REPORTED TO US IN JUNE.
WE'LL CLARIFY TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, JUST HOW THAT LAW AFFECTS THE COLLECTIONS.
BUT IF, IF IT DID GO INTO EFFECT ON APRIL 1ST, THEN MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THEN YES, COLLECTIONS WOULD BEGIN OVER THE MONTH OF APRIL.
AND SO THEN YOU'RE RIGHT, IT WOULD MAYBE JUNE UNTIL WE'D SEE THE IMPACTS OF THOSE SPECIFICALLY ON THE CITY FUND.
UH, BUT WE'LL DEFINITELY MAKE SURE WE HAVE THAT CLARIFICATION AND PROVIDE THAT UPDATE TO YOU.
AND THEN ON THE, ON THE HOT CULTURAL ARTS FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 SLIDE, WE HAVE THE APPROVED BUDGET AT 16.2 MILLION AND THEN TO DATE 10, A LITTLE OVER 10 MILLION.
SO HOW DOES THAT JOB WITH THE $54,000 BELOW LAST YEAR? THAT IS JUST CLARIFYING THAT WHAT WE'VE COLLECTED PRIOR TO, COMPARED TO WHAT WE HAD COLLECTED AT THIS TIME LAST YEAR IS STILL $54,000 LESS THAN WHAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY COLLECTED IN FY 24.
BUT WE'RE STILL 6.2 MILLION BEHIND THE APPROVED BUDGET BEHIND WHAT WE'RE ESTIMATED THE TO COLLECT FOR YEAR.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONERS? YES, COMMISSIONER GRAY.
MATT, I HAVE A QUESTION THAT I PROBABLY POSED TO, UH, ON THE DS THREE YEARS AGO.
HAS ANYBODY DONE A STUDY OR AN EVALUATION OF HOW THE CLOSURE OF THE CONVENTION CENTER IS GOING TO AFFECT THE HOT FUNDS OF THIS CITY? I I AM UNSURE IF THE CONVENTION CENTER IS CONDUCTED, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
I'M TALKING ABOUT INTERNALLY WITH ACME.
NO, WE HAVE NOT CONDUCTED A STUDY DIRECTLY THAT I THINK THAT SOMEBODY IN MY OPINION, NEEDS TO BE LOOKING AT THAT 'CAUSE IT CAN BE DEVASTATING WITHIN THE NEXT PROB WELL NEXT YEAR.
AND IT JUST AS, AS WAS BROUGHT UP, I MEAN WE'RE LOOKING AT MANY THINGS NATIONWIDE THAT ARE AFFECTING ARTISTS.
MANY ARE MAKING CHANGES, BUT A LOCAL CHANGE THAT BIG, IN MY OPINION, SHOULD HAVE BEEN THOUGHT ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, FOUR YEARS AGO, WHEN THIS WAS PLANNED OF HOW IT WAS GOING TO AFFECT THE CITY ITSELF AND THE ARTISTS THAT BRING PEOPLE HERE.
UM, YEAH, JUST ADDING ONTO THAT IS IT, IT FEELS LIKE IT MUST BE A BIG IMPACT BECAUSE IF THE CONVENTION CENTER CAN, IF IT IS JUSTIFIABLE THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER AND ITS ASSOCIATED THINGS GET 80% OF THE HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX THAT IS COLLECTED, THEN IT BETTER HAVE A BIG IMPACT IF THEY CLOSE DOWN.
AND IF WE SEE THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON THE HOT WHEN THE CONVENTION CENTER IS CLOSED DOWN, THEN WE HAVE TO REEVALUATE AS A CITY WHY THEY GET THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TAX WHEN THE REST OF US GET A TINY FRACTION FOR WHAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE.
SO YEAH, I JUST THINK WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP SAYING LIKE, WE NEED AN ANSWER TO WHAT THE PROJECTED LOSSES FOR HOT ARE.
AND AS WE ALREADY SAID, LIKE COMBINING THAT WITH THE NEA CUTS, IT'S JUST, IT'S LIKE A LOOMING CLIFF THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO PREPARE FOR.
AND I KNOW I'M SPEAKING, I KNOW YOU KNOW THIS, BUT JUST LIKE INTO THE WORLD, IT'S
[01:10:01]
REALLY IMPORTANT.I, COMMISSIONER GRAY, I'M SORRY, I COULD GO ON AND ON SO I'LL JUST SHUT UP.
I THINK YOU DO KNOW JUST WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING LOCALLY, CHANGES THAT HAPPENED WITHOUT MANY OF US KNOWING THAT CHANGES WOULD HAPPEN, AT LEAST IN MAJOR WAYS, PLANS OF CHANGES THAT WE HAVE NO CLUE HOW THEY'RE GOING TO BE CHANGED.
IT JUST FEELS LIKE IT'S ALL, WE'RE IN QUICK SAND IS WHAT IT FEELS LIKE.
AND I'M NOT TALKING AS AN ARTIST, I'M TALKING AS A CITIZEN.
THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, THE PEOPLE THAT, THE FACT THAT THE CITY PULLS PEOPLE FOR ARTISTS.
'CAUSE THE QUESTION I ASKED THREE OVER THREE YEARS AGO ABOUT THE CONVENTION CENTER I THOUGHT WAS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT.
AND IT WAS AT A TIME WAS I WAS SELFISHLY AS AN ARTIST THINKING ABOUT THE LONG CENTER'S GONNA BE TOO BOOKED UP OR PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE OVERBOOKED AND WE WON'T BE ABLE TO BOOK ARTISTS.
AND NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE HOT FUNDS AND THE MONEY THAT SUPPORT THE ARTISTS.
AND WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE PROBLEMS. WE ALREADY HAVE THE PILOT PROGRAM, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT.
AND CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA DELAY FUNDING.
THIS IS A BIG, THIS ISN'T JUST TOPIC TO TOPIC THIS EVENING.
THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEBODY LOOKING AT THE ENTIRE THING CITYWIDE AND NOT A NEW DEPARTMENT STARTING OVER.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THAT.
UM, I KNOW WE ALL WEAR A LOT OF HATS.
UM, AND I AM THE MANAGER OF PARTNERS AND SPONSORS OF DREAMCON, WHICH IS THE LARGEST BLACK OWNED, UM, GAMING, ANIME AND ENTERTAINMENT CONVENTION IN TEXAS.
AND WE WERE IN AUSTIN FOR 2023 AND 2024, UM, IN THE WEEKEND OF JULY, OR THE LAST WEEKEND OF JULY THE PAST TWO YEARS.
AND SO JUST IN THE WEEKEND WE HAD, UM, THE NUMBERS REPORTED FROM VISIT AUSTIN AS A $12.3 MILLION, UM, JUST LOCAL ECONOMY, UM, INCREASE IN THAT WEEKEND.
WE HAD OVER 22,000 ATTENDEES IN 2023.
AND THEN IN 2024 WE WERE CAPPED BY THE CONVENTION CENTER DUE TO THE BUILD AT 25,000, UM, ATTENDEES.
UM, SO BEING ON THE MANAGERS AND PARTNER, UM, SPONSORS TEAM, THEY ACTUALLY HADN'T COMMUNICATED TO THEM LIKE WE HAD MOVED FROM DALLAS TO THIS LOCATION IN AUSTIN AND WERE LOOKING TO BE BASED IN AUSTIN AS THE CREATORS AND THE FOUNDERS OR CONTACT CREATORS, UM, BASED HERE.
AND THEY DIDN'T FIND OUT UNTIL MAYBE A MONTH AFTER.
THEY FOUND OUT THAT THE CONVENTION CENTER WAS CLOSING.
AND THEY FOUND OUT FROM ME BECAUSE I HAPPENED TO BE IN CDS AND WAS KNOWING ABOUT THE PROJECT, THE CONVENTION CENTER HADN'T EVEN COMMUNICATED THAT TO THEM, WHICH FORCED THEM TO KIND OF SCRAMBLE.
AND WE HAD CONTACTS WITH AFRO TECH WHO ALSO GOT PUSHED TO HOUSTON.
AND SO WE WERE ABLE TO, UM, GET AT THE GEORGE R. BROWN CENTER IN HOUSTON, WHICH NOW, UM, DREAMCON WILL BE MAY 31ST WEEKEND.
AND THEY ARE CAPPED THIS FIRST YEAR AT 30,000.
UM, SO I KNOW WITH THAT WE DID A PARTNERSHIP WITH SEVEN DIFFERENT HOTELS IN AUSTIN.
ONE OF COURSE THE HILTON AT THE CONVENTION CENTER.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S JUST, UH, LIKE A DROP IN THE BUCKET OF AN EVENT THAT I'M PRETTY SURE Y'ALL HAVE NEVER HEARD ABOUT.
BUT THAT WAS $12.3 MILLION IN ONE WEEKEND AND WE WERE ATTRACTED TO HAVING IT IN AUSTIN BECAUSE WE GOT A PRETTY GOOD DEAL ON IT CONSIDERING, UM, JUNE AND JULY WERE THE LOWEST, UM, ARE SOME OF THE LEAST TRAVELED MONTHS IN TEXAS.
UM, WE ASSUME DUE TO THE HEAT AND OTHER FACTORS.
UM, BUT I SAY THAT BECAUSE ONE, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SHORTFALL OF WHAT HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX IS, I KNOW FOR SURE WE USUALLY HIT A LOW OR DIP IN JUNE AND JULY.
SO, YOU KNOW, JUST BEING REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
BUT ALSO JUST IN SPEAKING TO THE IMPACT OF LOSING THE CONVENTION CENTER FOR FIVE YEARS AND ME KNOWING PERSONALLY BIG TIME CONVENTIONS AND CULTURAL CONVENTIONS, CULTURALLY CENTERED CONVENTIONS THAT HAD TO MOVE TO OTHER CITIES DUE TO THAT, UM, HOW THAT IMPACT ON THE LOCAL ECONOMY.
HI, UM, MORGAN MESSICK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ACME.
I WAS CHECKING A FEW NUMBERS ON MY CELL PHONE 'CAUSE I BROKE MY COMPUTER.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO REMIND STAFF AND, AND MAKE IT KNOWN THAT ALL OF THE HOT PROJECTIONS FOR THE CITY AND FOR THE PORTION THAT WE RECEIVE
[01:15:01]
ARE MANAGED BY THE BUDGET OFFICE.AND SO I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT FOR US TO LOOK INTO HOW THEY HISTORICALLY BUILT THEIR PROJECTIONS ON HOW, UM, LIKE WHAT KIND OF CONVERSATIONS THEY'VE BEEN IN.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, UM, CLEARLY IT'S AN IMPORTANT ISSUE ABOUT HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE WORK THAT WE DO AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK THAT WE CAN TAKE IT AWAY TO FOLLOW UP WITH OUR LEADERSHIP AND WITH THE BUDGET OFFICE AND SEE WHAT, MAYBE WE CAN COME BACK WITH LIKE MORE INFORMATION NEXT MONTH.
UM, 'CAUSE WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO KNOW AS WELL.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? OKAY.
WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER
[6. Staff briefing regarding update on the Cultural Arts Funding Programs by Jesús Pantel, Cultural Funding Supervisor and Candice Cooper, Interim Chief Administrative Officer]
SIX, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING UPDATE ON CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING PROGRAMS BY JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.OH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR.
UM, I'LL BE TAG TEAMING WITH, UH, MORGAN THIS EVENING.
I AM A LATINO MALE WITH, UM, LONG, UH, GRAY HAIR, A SALT AND PEPPER BEARD.
UM, AND TODAY I WILL BE GIVING AN UPDATE, UH, TALKING ABOUT CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS, UH, CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATE.
UM, AN UPDATE ON THE NEA, UH, RESCISSIONS COMMENT WE STARTED.
OH, SO ZACH WAS GONNA GIVE A COMMENT, UH, FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION BEFORE I STARTED MY PRESENTATION.
I I FLIPPED YOU FOR ITEM FOUR SINCE YOU CAME UP.
PUBLIC COMMENT FROM ZACH TRAEGER, MUSEUM OF HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.
I TRULY AM NO FAN OF ROBERT OR WHATEVER RULES, UH, HE'S ESTABLISHED.
UM, YEAH, I'M GONNA DO THIS LIKE VERY FAST.
'CAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY HEARD MANY OF MY FRIENDS SAY, UH, SIMILAR THINGS.
THE CONTEXT OVERVIEW, I THINK I WAS ABOUT TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT IT.
WITH THE GOVERNMENT DOING WHAT IT'S DOING AND THE NEA BEING ESSENTIALLY DISMANTLED, WE WILL CERTAINLY SEE SOME SORT OF CHILLING EFFECT ON A STATE.
THE STATE IS ALIGNED IN THESE WAYS.
THE, UH, REGRESSIVE POLICIES THAT WE'RE SEEING OVERALL.
UM, THEY'RE GOING TO BE MIRRORED ACROSS MANY DIFFERENT SOURCES OF FUNDING.
SO WE'RE SETTING UP AN ECOSYSTEM WHERE IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, THERE WAS A REAL INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO GET TO INSTITUTIONAL STATUS, UH, FUND THOSE MOST AT RISK OF CULTURAL DISPLACEMENT.
AND THOSE HISTORICALLY UNDERFUNDED AND THE POLICIES THAT WE ALL WERE INVOLVED IN, HANDPICKED A TON OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE ALL THOSE QUALITIES.
NOW, IT'S VERY HARD, IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD 50, A HUNDRED, $150,000, IT'S VERY HARD TO GROW YOUR ORGANIZATION WITHIN TWO YEARS.
YOU'RE, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO BECOME AN INSTITUTION IN THE WAY THAT THE LAST 30 YEARS HAVE SUPPORTED OTHERS.
SO THAT RAMP IS A DIFFICULTY ALREADY.
BUT IF YOU ARE FACING A CLIFF LIKE SOMEBODY I I JUST HEARD SAY THE, THAT ACT OF THEN, UH, FIRING PEOPLE LIKE THAT WILL THE CITY AND THE POLICIES CREATED WILL HAVE A HANDPICKED EFFECT ON ESSENTIALLY DISMANTLING THE SAME ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE AT RISK OF MOST, UH, CULTURAL RATIO OR DISPLACEMENT.
SO I'M GONNA, OOH, I HAVE ONE MINUTE, 30 SECONDS.
MANDATORY FISCAL SPONSORSHIP, BAD, UH, OPTIONAL FISCAL SPONSORSHIP, GOOD LIMITING THRIVE CONSECUTIVE CYCLES BAD, UH, PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING BUDGET AS A FUNDING MECHANISM MECHANISM, KING, MAKER BAD.
IT JUST CREATES THE SAME INSTITUTIONS REGARDLESS OF SKILL OR SCORE.
UH, MANDATORY MATCHING BAD IN MY OPINION.
RUBRIC, ARTISTIC MERIT, LEGACY.
THESE ARE CODED AND EASILY WEAPONIZED BAD, UH, BETTER LANGUAGE OVERALL, BETTER PANELIST, TRAINING, GOOD PRO ECONOMIC REALITIES.
UH, I'M ALL FOR, UH, FUTURE FORWARD.
LIKE, LET'S BE TALKING ABOUT UBI.
LET'S BE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE FUND PEOPLE'S DAY-TO-DAY REALITIES.
ESPECIALLY LET'S KEEP IN MIND PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN HISTORICALLY LOW INCOME AND WHAT ACCESS TO, LIKE, SUPPORT SYSTEMS, HOW YOU BUILD SUSTAINABLE, HEALTHY COMMUNITIES.
UM, OH, LISTEN TO, I KNOW IT'S NOT Y'ALL.
I THINK THIS IS AT LARGE
LIKE, UH, SHE'S NEVER HERE, BUT WW A MD WHAT WOULD ANNEMARIE DO? LIKE THAT'S A PERSON WHO HAS DEEP ARTS ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY AND IT SEEMS SO STRANGE.
LIKE, I, I CAN'T EXPLAIN IT, BUT THIS, LIKE, WE'RE GONNA RESET.
AND THEN LIKE ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HOLD EXPERTISE, BOTH THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN FUNDED OR THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN PRACTICING IT AREN'T, UH, LIKE ARE CAN'T BE INVOLVED FOR SOME WEIRD RULES, REGULATIONS.
THEY'RE GOOD, THEY'RE EXPERTS.
UH, I THINK THAT'S ALL I GOTTA SAY.
[01:20:02]
ALRIGHT.UM, SO WE ARE AT, UH, LET ME GET MY PRESENTATION GOING.
SO AGAIN, JESUS PANTEL, CULTURAL FUNDING SUPERVISOR, UH, TALKING ABOUT CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS, CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATES, UH, THE NEA RESCISSION THAT HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT.
UM, MORGAN WILL TALK A BIT ABOUT ACME AND THE CREATIVE RESET.
AND THEN I WILL TALK AGAIN ABOUT, UH, GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES.
UM, SO CONTRACTS AND PAYMENTS.
UM, WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, UM, SINCE THE LAST TIME WE HAD AN UPDATE.
WE HAVE CLOSED OUT, UH, 12, UM, UM, FINAL REPORTS THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, DUE.
SO WE STILL HAVE SOME THAT ARE DUE, BUT WE ARE MAKING PROGRESS, UH, TOWARDS THOSE.
UM, WE HAVE LESS THAN ABOUT FIVE TO 10% OF OUTSTANDING, UH, PAYMENTS AND FINAL REPORTS THAT ARE DUE, UH, FOR CULTURAL ARTS FUNDING UPDATES.
WE, UH, RECENTLY, UM, ANNOUNCED NEXUS.
UM, SO LAST WEEK, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO.
UM, SO WE HAD 541 TOTAL NEXUS APPLICATIONS.
UM, OF THOSE 454 WERE ELIGIBLE, SO THAT MEANT 87 OR ABOUT 16% WERE INELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS.
UM, PROBABLY THE BIGGEST REASONS FOR INELIGIBILITY, UM, IS, UM, MOST WERE INELIGIBLE BECAUSE THEY DID NOT MEET THE ONE YEAR HISTORY, UH, REQUIREMENT OR THEIR MISSION OR THEIR EVENT WAS NOT AN ARTS AND CULTURE ACTIVITY.
SO OF THE 454 ELIGIBLE APPLICATIONS WE RECEIVED, WE HAD ENOUGH FUNDING FOR 105 AWARDS, UH, THAT TURNS OUT TO A 23% ACCEPTANCE RATE.
UM, AND THAT'S, UM, PRETTY MUCH IN KEEPING WITH WHAT NEXUS HAS BEEN, UH, THE PAST FEW YEARS WITH ELEVATE AND THRIVE, IT GOES UP TO MAYBE 40 TO 60% ACCEPTANCE RATE, BUT IT IS STILL, UH, VERY COMPETITIVE, UM, APPLICATION PROCESS, ESPECIALLY COMPARED TO HOW IT WAS, UM, IN THE OLD CORE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE FESTIVALS AND COMMUNITY INITIATIVES PROGRAMS. UM, SO WE AWARDED OUT $525,000, UH, BUT WE RECEIVED OVER $2.5 MILLION IN REQUESTS, UH, JUST IN THIS, UH, PARTICULAR PROGRAM.
SO, UH, AGAIN, JUST TALKING ABOUT HOW COMPETITIVE IT IS, UH, THE NEEDS IN THE COMMUNITY, UM, AS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, LAST YEAR WITH ELEVATE AND THRIVE, WE HAD, I BELIEVE IT WAS AROUND $63 MILLION IN TOTAL REQUESTS FOR $13 MILLION, UH, TO AWARD OUT.
JUST TO KIND OF PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE.
UH, FOR THIS NEXUS ACTIVITY, UH, THIS IS OUR FIRST YEAR WHERE WE'RE DOING IT AS A YEAR LONG, UH, SERIES OF ACTIVITIES.
SO THE ACTIVITY DATES OCCUR BETWEEN MAY 1ST OF THIS YEAR THROUGH APRIL 30TH OF NEXT YEAR.
UM, IT CAN BE A ONE TIME EVENT, IT COULD BE MULTIPLE EVENTS FOR NEXUS.
MOST OF THEM ARE GONNA BE LIKE ONE TIME OR YOU KNOW, ONE OFF MAYBE A COUPLE OF WEEKEND, UH, TYPE EVENTS, UM, BECAUSE IT IS A SMALLER AWARD AMOUNT.
UM, AND THEN THE AWARDEE, UH, LIST, YOU CAN, UH, CLICK HERE ON THE, UH, UH, SLIDE, UM, OR IT'S ALSO ON THE NEXUS WEBPAGE TO SEE WHO THE LIST OF AWARDEES ARE, UH, BREAKING DOWN, UH, SOME OF THOSE AWARDEES.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UH, NINE OF THEM WERE 5 0 1 C NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
OF THE 105 THAT RECEIVED AWARDS, UH, THAT, UH, COMES OUT TO ABOUT 9%, UH, 16 WERE CREATIVE BUSINESSES OR ABOUT 15% AND THEN 80.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY IN THIS, UH, FITS WITH THE TREND WE'VE SEEN IN NEXUS.
UM, USUALLY THE VAST MAJORITY GOES TO INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS, IN THIS CASE 80 OF 'EM, OR 76% OF THE AWARDEES.
UM, AND THEN WE HAD, UM, ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES, UM, ALL OVER, UH, THE MAP.
WE DID HAVE ONE, UH, LITERATURE AND HUMANITIES.
SO, UM, AS WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, THAT IS USUALLY ONE OF THE ONES THAT WE HAVE, UH, LESS, UM, UM, APPLICATIONS.
UM, AND, UM, OUR BIGGEST WAS, UH, MULTIDISCIPLINARY, UM, FOLLOWED BY, UH, TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL ARTS WAS 11%.
SO ALL OF THOSE, OH, AND MUSIC WAS, UH, 15%.
SO ALL OF THOSE BROKE THE TRIPLE DIGIT, UH, PERCENTAGE AND VISUAL ARTS, UH, 10% AS WELL.
SO AGAIN, A VAST VARIETY OF ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES, UH, COVERED IN THE NEXUS PROGRAM, UH, FOR THE NEA AWARD, UM, WE DID RECEIVE AN NEA AWARD FOR THE R FUTURE 35.
WE ALSO, UH, RECEIVED, UM, THE FRIDAY NIGHT, UH, MASSACRE EMAIL.
WE SAW IT ON MONDAY AFTER IT WAS SENT OUT AT LIKE SEVEN 30 ON, UH, FRIDAY NIGHT AFTER, UH, WE WERE ALL HOME FOR THE WEEKEND.
UM, SO JUST A REMINDER THAT IT'S A JOINT PROJECT THAT WE ARE UNDERTAKING WITH A TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, WE HAVE SUBMITTED AN APPEAL YOU HAD UP TO, UM, A WEEK, UH, LESS THAN A WEEK BECAUSE THEY TOLD YOU YOU HAD SEVEN DAYS AT THAT 7:30 PM AT LEAST WHEN WE GOT OURS.
UM, BUT WE DID SUBMIT IT, I THINK THAT THURSDAY ACTUALLY, UM, JUST TO BE, UH, SAFE.
UM, AND WE ARE WORKING ON PLANS FOR ALTERNATE FUNDS IF THE APPEAL
[01:25:01]
IS UNSUCCESSFUL.SO WE DO WANNA SEE, UH, THIS PROJECT HAPPEN AND WE ARE WORKING ON WAYS.
UM, WE FEEL WE HAVE A DECENT SHOT AT APPEAL BECAUSE THE, UM, THE NEW, UM, PRIORITIES OF THE NEA.
UM, WE BELIEVE OUR PROJECTS DO MANAGE THAT.
SO WE'LL SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL THE APPEAL IS.
IF NOT, AGAIN, WE HAVE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON.
UH, WE ALSO UTILIZED THE LIST THAT COMMISSIONER SCH MALACH HAD PUT TOGETHER TO, UH, CONFIRM, UM, WHICH OF THE FY 23 AND 24 CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS, UM, ON THAT LIST HAD RECEIVED FUNDING.
NOT ALL OF THEM WERE CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS, THE VAST MAJORITY WERE, BUT THERE WERE A FEW THAT WERE NOT.
SO WE ONLY REACHED OUT TO THOSE WHO WERE FY 23 AND 24 CULTURAL FUNDING RECIPIENTS.
UH, ONE WE WANTED TO CONFIRM IF THERE ANY A AWARD WAS INDEED RESCINDED.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO, UM, ENCOURAGED THEM TO APPEAL, UH, THE DECISION AND GAVE THEM SOME, UH, RESOURCES.
AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS HAD PUT ON A, UH, WEBINAR, UH, THAT WEEK.
WE HAD, UM, UM, RESOURCES IN THE BODY OF THE EMAIL AS WELL.
SO THAT WAY IF, UH, THE RECIPIENTS DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO GO WATCH THE AMERICAN, AND WHEN I SAID AFTA, AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS, UM, SO IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO WATCH THE AMERICANS FOR THE ARTS WEBINAR, THEY STILL GOT, UM, A LIST OF THE RESOURCES.
UM, AND THEN SO WE'RE KEEPING A PULSE, YOU KNOW, CHECKING WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, KEEPING A PULSE ON LOSSES FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATION SO WE CAN REPORT BACK, UH, TAGME LEADERSHIP.
UM, WE DID RECEIVE, UM, WHEN I CHECKED EARLIER TODAY, UM, WE HAD 16 CONFIRMATIONS VIA EMAIL, UM, THAT PEOPLE'S AWARDS WERE RESCINDED.
UM, ONE WE WERE ABLE TO CONFIRM VIA THEIR NEWSLETTER.
SO 17, WE, UH, DEFINITELY HAVE, UM, DIRECT SUPPORT FOR, THERE WERE AN ADDITIONAL SEVEN THAT WERE LISTED IN THE AUSTIN CHRONICLE, UM, THAT PUT OUT AN ARTICLE.
UM, BUT WE HAVE NOT INDEPEND INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED FROM THOSE RECIPIENTS THAT THEIR AWARDS WERE INDEED, UH, RESCINDED.
SO STILL WAITING TO HEAR BACK, UH, FROM A FEW MORE.
UH, BUT WHEN WE SENT, UH, THE LETTER OUT, UH, WITH THE RESOURCES, WE TOLD THEM TO CONCENTRATE THEIR TIME ON APPEALING THE UM, DECISION AS OPPOSED TO GETTING BACK TO US TO LET US KNOW, UH, WHETHER THERE, UM, AWARD WAS REPEALED OR NOT.
UM, AND THEN, SO THAT IS IT FOR CULTURAL FUNDING UPDATES AND NEA UPDATES.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MORGAN TO TALK ABOUT THE CREATIVE RESET.
UH, IT'S MY FIRST OFFICIAL COMMISSION BACK FROM MY PARENTAL LEAVE, SO I'VE BEEN BACK FOR THREE WEEKS AND GETTING UP TO SPEED ON ALL THINGS ACME.
SO MORGAN MESSICK, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR ACME AND HOPING TO ANSWER AS MANY QUESTIONS AS I CAN TONIGHT.
AND ANYTHING I CANNOT ANSWER, I WILL WORK WITH MY TEAM AND WE'LL GET YOU SOME RESPONSES ON THE BACK END.
SO LAST, UH, MEETING YOU HEARD FROM CANDACE COOPER, I WAS TUNING IN TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CREATIVE RESET.
SO THIS IS THE PROJECT WHERE WE ARE KICKING OFF THE EVALUATION OF ALL OF ACME FUNDING PROGRAMS. SO THIS INCLUDES, UM, EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE KNOWN HISTORICALLY AS CULTURAL FUNDING, WHICH IS CURRENTLY THRIVE, ELEVATE NEXUS, AS WELL AS OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE MANAGE.
THE LIVE MUSIC FUND, CREATIVE SPACE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, THE, UH, HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT AND OUR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PROGRAM IS A PART OF THIS AS WELL, JUST FOR PROGRAM EVALUATION.
UM, AND A NOTE ON THAT, EARLIER THIS YEAR, I BELIEVE IN FEBRUARY, CITY COUNCIL ISSUED A RESOLUTION FOR US TO LOOK AT ART IN PUBLIC PLACES.
SO THAT'S WHY THAT'S A PART OF THE CONVERSATION RIGHT NOW AS WE ARE MOVING FORWARD THIS SUMMER WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO WE ARE IN A PROCESS RIGHT NOW FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THAT REALLY RAMPED UP OVER THE LAST 90 DAYS.
UM, ACME IS ABOUT TO HIT THEIR 90 DAY THRESHOLD OF BEING A DEPARTMENT.
SO AT 60 DAYS WE SENT OUT A MESSAGE, UM, TO OUR PARTNERS TO SAY KIND OF HERE'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THE LAST 60 DAYS.
AND WE WILL BE ISSUING ANOTHER, UH, ONE OF THOSE COMING UP, I BELIEVE NEXT WEEK WHEN WE HIT OUR 90 DAY GOAL.
TOMORROW WE ARE LAUNCHING A BIG COMMUNITY, UM, PUBLIC FACING COMMUNICATION AROUND THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WELL AS PUBLISHING OUR NEW WEBPAGE WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND THE CREATIVE RESET PROJECT THAT WE ARE KICKING OFF.
SO THIS IS A BIG WEEK FOR THIS PROJECT.
SO MORE INFORMATION WILL BE COMING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS PRESS RELEASES AND OTHER TOUCH POINTS.
SO A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE, UM, MORE OF WHICH WILL BE ANNOUNCED OVER THE COURSE OF THIS WEEK.
THROUGH OUR COMMUNICATIONS WE HAVE CONVENED AND OUR IN THE PROCESS OF SOLIDIFYING MEMBERS FOR AN ACME LED WORKING GROUP.
SO, UH, TODAY THERE WAS A PRE-MEETING, UM, WITH ACME LEADERSHIP TO DISCUSS, UM, SOME ITEMS RELATED TO THE WORKING GROUP, SUCH AS CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AND OTHER THINGS THAT CAME UP IN THE PROCESS OF THE FORMATION OF THIS GROUP.
I KNOW, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE THAT MEETING TODAY DURING THE LUNCH HOUR.
[01:30:01]
SO OFFLINE EMAILS AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS WERE HAPPENING, UM, IN A PRE-MEETING CAPACITY WITH ACME LEADERSHIP AS WELL TO KIND OF MOVE US FORWARD TOWARDS A FIRST CONVENING FOR THAT WORKING GROUP.OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE IN THIS PROCESS WILL BE HELD THROUGH FOCUS GROUPS, ONE-ON-ONE CONVERSATIONS, WHAT WE'RE CALLING MEETING IN A BOX, WHICH IS KIND OF A TEMPLATE TO FACILITATE THESE CONVERSATIONS AT YOUR ORGANIZATION DIRECTLY OR WITH OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UM, OR GROUPS THAT YOU ARE ACTIVE IN.
IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO TAP INTO ONE OF THESE OTHER OPTIONS, THERE WILL BE A SURVEY THAT ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY CAN TAKE.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE HAVE FEEDBACK THAT HAS BEEN PROVIDED THROUGH THE ACTIVE COMMISSION WORKING GROUPS, UM, BOTH THE ARTS COMMISSION, THE MUSIC COMMISSION, AND THEN WITH, UM, HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION.
OUR PARTNERS ARE APPROACHING THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO MAKE SURE WE CAPTURE SOME OF THEIR FEEDBACK, UM, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH OTHER HISTORIC ENTITIES IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE PARTNER WITH ON THAT GRANT.
ADDITIONALLY, UM, IN ADDITION TO ALL THOSE MANY TOUCH POINTS THAT WE'LL BE DOING, WE HAVE SOME DATA THAT WE ARE USING TO SUPPORT AND INFORM THIS PROCESS AS KIND OF THE FOUNDATIONAL JUMPING OFF POINT FOR THIS WORK SO AS TO NOT, UM, THROW OUT ALL THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN DONE PREVIOUSLY, BOTH WITH THIS COMMISSION AND, UM, FEEDBACK THAT OTHER COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE GIVEN THROUGH MANY OUTLETS.
SO WE HAVE ALL THAT HISTORICAL COMMUNITY FEEDBACK THAT HAS BEEN COMPILED, UM, FEEDBACK GIVEN FROM 2020 THROUGH 2025 THAT IS BEING, UH, SYNTHESIZED INTO A REPORT THAT WILL BE USED TO PASS UP TO THE WORKING GROUP AND WILL ALSO BE PUBLISHED THROUGH OUR, UM, PAGE OR WHAT ONE OF OUR WEBP PAGES THAT WILL BE GOING LIVE TOMORROW.
THIS KIND OF SERVING IS A DASHBOARD FOR THE PROGRESS OF THE CREATIVE RESET SO THE COMMUNITY CAN SEE WHAT IS AVAILABLE THAT'S INFORMING THIS, UM, WHAT WHAT ARE WE DOING TO MOVE FORWARD AND KIND OF THE MILESTONES ALONG THE WAY.
ADDITIONALLY, WE HAVE OUR STAFF WORKING THROUGH A, A REVIEW OF PEER CITIES WHO HOST SIMILAR PROGRAMS. SO WE HAVE A, A LIST OF PEER CITIES THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, OFTEN USES AS BENCHMARKING DATA.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW AND WE WILL PROVIDE THAT AS WELL.
AND IT WILL BE PUBLISHED ONLINE.
WE ALSO INTEND TO GET SOME INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM THE LONG CENTER ON THE APPLICATION PROCESS AND INFORMATION DIRECTLY FROM OUR LAW DEPARTMENT ON HOTEL OCCUPANCY TAX TO PRESENT TO THAT WORKING GROUP AND TO KIND OF COMPILE, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE GOAL OF THE CREATIVE RESET IS TO CREATE AND LAUNCH NEW FUNDING PROGRAMS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THERE, UM, CLEARLY WAS SOME URGENCY THIS YEAR WHEN OUR CITY LEADERSHIP DECIDED TO CREATE A WHOLE NEW DEPARTMENT DEDICATED TO THIS.
AND AS PART OF THAT CHARGE TO LAUNCH IT, UM, QUICKLY, THERE WERE A LOT OF GOALS THAT WERE ATTACHED WITH THAT TO MOVE THAT FORWARD INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, MOVING IT TO THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THEY OBVIOUSLY WANTED TO GET THINGS MOVING.
SO THAT'S WHY THERE'S A LOT OF URGENCY RIGHT NOW TO PUSH THIS FORWARD AND ALSO TO NOT DELAY FUNDS FURTHER FROM GOING OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY.
THIS IS A REVAMP OF THE GRAPHIC THAT WAS PRESENTED AT YOUR PREVIOUS ARTS COMMISSION MEETING, UM, TO SHOW YOU WHERE WE ARE AT IN THE PROCESS.
SO ORIGINALLY THIS GRAPHIC, UM, REFLECTED JUST ELEVATE.
SO AT THE LAST MEETING, I BELIEVE WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT ELEVATE, BUT AS THAT STARTED TO BE SHARED PUBLICLY, UM, MORE PEOPLE WERE COMING TO THE TABLE TO SPEAK BOTH TO ACME LEADERSHIP AND TO HIRE LEADERSHIP IN THE CITY TO SAY, WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS BE MORE COMPREHENSIVE.
AND SO THIS HAS TRANSFORMED FROM THAT MEETING, LIKE RIGHT AFTER THAT MEETING TO WHERE WE'RE AT NOW TO BE A BIGGER PROJECT.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY.
IT'S NOT JUST ELEVATE, IT'S A BIGGER ECOSYSTEM.
SO IN APRIL WE WERE HEAVY IN THE, THE PLANNING PHASE AND UM, WE ARE NOW IN MAY AND WE ARE BEGINNING TO LAUNCH OUR INPUT STRATEGIES I MENTIONED TOMORROW A LOT OF THINGS WILL BE PUBLISHED, INCLUDING OUR WEBPAGE GOING LIVE WITH INFORMATION, LINKS TO SURVEYS, ET CETERA.
AND AS WE MOVE THROUGH THIS SUMMER, WE WILL, UM, BE WORKING WITH THE WORK GROUP AND COLLECTING FEEDBACK THROUGH ALL OF THE OTHER ENGAGEMENT TOUCH POINTS SUCH AS THE FOCUS GROUPS TO ANALYZE AND REVISE THAT INFORMATION AND DATA.
AND WE HOPE TO HAVE DRAFT FINAL GUIDELINES IN JULY AS OUR ROUGH TIMEFRAME, UM, WITH INFORMATION GOING LIVE IN AUGUST ABOUT WHAT THOSE NEW PROGRAMS WILL BE.
AND THEN THROUGHOUT THE FALL AND EARLY WINTER WE'LL BE WORKING TOWARDS FUNDING DISTRIBUTION, UM, WHICH WE HAVE TENTATIVELY SLATED FOR FEBRUARY BASED ON THIS TIMELINE.
AS I SAID, A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION WILL BE MADE PUBLIC STARTING TOMORROW.
TOMORROW IS OUR BIG LAUNCH DAY.
UM, SO THIS WEEK THAT WILL BE TRICKLING OUT THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT PLATFORMS THAT WE SEND INFO OUT, UM, INCLUDING ALL THE CULTURAL ARTS, SOCIAL MEDIA PAGES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PAGES WE'RE WORKING WITH RIGHT NOW AS A NEW DEPARTMENT.
[01:35:01]
INHERITED MANY DIFFERENT COMMUNICATION TOUCHPOINTS AND OUR GOAL WILL BE TO KEEP ALL OF THOSE GROUPS INFORMED.BUT YOU CAN FOLLOW US@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV SLASH ACME AND WE WILL BE SURE TO SHARE OUT LINKS AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE.
UM, AND BEFORE WE MOVE IT ON TO GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES, AM I ALLOWED TO TAKE QUESTIONS NOW OR DO I HAVE TO WAIT TILL LATER? OKAY.
YEAH, LET'S DO, LET'S DO THE GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES FIRST AND THEN COME BACK.
UM, I'M GONNA PASS IT BACK TO, OKAY.
HEY JESUS PANTEL AND THEN I AM HERE AND HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS.
AND THIS WON'T TAKE, UH, TOO LONG, UH, COMMISSIONERS.
AND THEN WE CAN GET TO, UM, QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, SO GRANT FUNDED ACTIVITIES, UM, WE HAVE, UM, WE HAD SIX THIS MONTH, SO WE DIDN'T HAVE AS MANY AS WE DID UH, LAST TIME, SO I'M NOT GONNA READ ALL OF THEM OUT.
BUT I WILL READ THE, UM, DIFFERENT, UM, FUNDING RECIPIENTS WHO HAVE PROJECTS COMING UP.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS BETWEEN NOW AND YOUR NEXT ARTS COMMISSION MEETING IN JUNE.
UH, SO FAST PROJECTS ALMOST REAL THINGS AND GROUND FLOOR THEATER, ALL HAVE THINGS, UM, COMING UP.
AND THEN, UH, MADE MEDIA GROUP, UM, INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC CIRCLE OF AUSTIN AND WOMEN IN JAZZ ALSO HAVE THINGS, UH, COMING UP IN JUNE.
THE FIRST ONE'S IN THE FIRST SLIDE KIND OF IN, UH, UM, DATE ORDER.
UH, WE'RE IN MAY AND THEN THESE OTHER ONES ARE IN JUNE.
UM, AND NOW WE WILL OPEN IT UP TO QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE FOR ME OR FOR MORGAN.
FIRST I WANNA, I WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING US EACH MONTH WHAT'S COMING UP BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING SO WE CAN TRY TO MAKE SOME OF THESE THINGS SO THAT WE'RE SUPPORTING THE ARTISTS COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER CINI.
SO MINE IS SORT OF A QUESTION, BUT NOT REALLY.
IT'S MORE OF A STATEMENT, WHICH IS, IT IS NO SECRET THAT I RUN AN ARTS ORGANIZATION THAT IS PART OF THE APPEAL AS TO WHY I WAS ASKED TO APPLY TO BE A COMMISSIONER.
AND I THINK THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK OF INDIVIDUALS THAT RUN ARTS ORGANIZATIONS VOICES NOT BEING, UM, AT THE FOREFRONT OF KIND OF THESE WORKING GROUPS WITH THE ELIGIBILITY, WHICH I HAVE, UM, A LOT OF ISSUES WITH BECAUSE THOSE LIVED EXPERIENCES INFORM THE WORK.
SO THAT IS THE FIRST THING THAT I JUST WANNA GET ON THE TABLE.
UM, THE SECOND THING THAT I GUESS I'M REALLY JUST CONCERNED WITH, UM, IS I THINK, YOU KNOW, CREATING A NEW DEPARTMENT THAT FOCUS IS ON THE ARTS AND IT'S NOT SOLELY ABOUT ECONOMIC DRIVERS IS GREAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE THAT'S ONE COMPONENT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT MAKES ARTS GREAT.
SORRY, I'M LIKE SCRAMBLING WITH MY WORDS 'CAUSE I'M HAVING LIKE 500 THOUGHTS AT A TIME.
UM, BUT MY, I GUESS MY CONCERN IS LIKE, I'M JUST GONNA GIVE YOU ANALOGY.
LIKE I RUN AN ARTS ORGANIZATION AND I RUN A PROGRAM.
THIS WOULD BE LIKE ME GOING IN AND BEING LIKE, I, I'VE ONLY RUN THIS PROGRAM FOR A YEAR, BUT I'M GONNA COMPLETELY SCRAP ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING AND I'M GONNA REBUILD IT.
THAT'S A LOT OF TIME, RIGHT? THAT I DON'T REALLY HAVE, I DON'T THINK THIS NEW DEPARTMENT REALLY HAS THAT TIME BECAUSE IT, YOU JUST STARTED AND IT'S ALSO A LOT OF MONEY.
UM, AND IT'S A LOT OF, UM, UTILIZING RESOURCES THAT ARE ALREADY STRETCHED THIN, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE MY BRAIN WENT.
AND I THINK, UM, INITIALLY WHEN WE PUT THIS WORKING GROUP TOGETHER ON THE ARTS COMMISSION THAT I WAS A PART OF, THE GOAL WAS TO TAKE WHAT ALREADY EXISTS AND SEE WHAT WORKS AND WHAT DOESN'T WORK AND MAKE IT WORK BETTER.
I DON'T THINK THE ID AND I DON'T AGREE WITH ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
I WANNA PUT THAT ON THE TABLE RIGHT NOW.
LIKE, I DON'T AGREE WITH MATCHES, HUH.
YEAH, THAT'S WHY THERE WAS A SECOND WORKING ROOM.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I THINK THE LAST MEETING, I HAVEN'T BEEN TO THE PAST COUPLE MEETINGS 'CAUSE LIFE, BUT I SAID I WOULD DIE ON THAT HILL WITH CERTAIN THINGS, RIGHT? SO I THOUGHT THIS CONVERSATION WAS GONNA CONTINUE AND NOW THIS CONVERSATION IS BEHIND CLOSED DOORS AND IT'S INVITE ONLY AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PARAMETERS PUT UP AND I VIEW THOSE AS SYSTEMIC BARRIERS, WHICH I AM ACTIVELY AS AN ARTS AND CULTURAL PRODUCER AND AN ARTIST TRYING TO DISMANTLE.
I'M TRYING TO OPEN THE DOOR FOR PEOPLE, I'M NOT TRYING TO CLOSE IT.
AND SO IT'S JUST REALLY, I DON'T KNOW, PROBLEMATIC IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WORD, UM, TO DO.
BUT I ALSO THINK WE HAVE A MOMENT IN TIME TO BUILD SOMETHING REALLY GREAT AND TO BUILD UPON
[01:40:01]
THE SUCCESSES.SO I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT WE SHOULD SCRAP EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK THAT TIMELINE IS COMPLETELY UNREALISTIC.
AND ALSO ON TOP OF THAT, MY LAST COMMENT IS THAT A LOT OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, HUNDREDS HAVE LOST FUNDING THROUGH THE NEA.
SO TO DELAY FUNDING POTENTIALLY UNTIL FEBRUARY OF 2026, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A LOT OF THESE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS NOT EXISTING ANYMORE BECAUSE PEOPLE REALLY JUST CAN'T WAIT THAT LONG FOR OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS LET'S KEEP THE CONVERSATION GOING AND LET'S KEEP BUILDING ON THE SUCCESSES, THE THINGS THAT HAVE WORKED, ESPECIALLY THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SHARED HERE TONIGHT.
LET'S ROLL OUT THE GRANTS WHEN WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ROLL OUT THE GRANTS, WHICH IS LIKE NEXT MONTH, I THINK.
UM, AND BE MEANINGFUL AND THOUGHTFUL WITH THIS PROCESS BECAUSE WHEN YOU SAY YOU'RE DOING ALL OF THESE THINGS IN A THREE MONTH PERIOD OF TIME, I DON'T EVEN BUILD LIKE A FREE PROGRAM IN THREE MONTHS.
OKAY? LIKE, YEAH, YEAH, 10 WEEKS.
SO IT'S JUST, IT DOESN'T FEEL THOUGHTFUL FROM THE GUN.
AND I UNDERSTAND THE INTENTIONS, RIGHT? THE INTENTIONS OF THIS NEW DEPARTMENT ARE GOOD.
I KNOW THAT THEY SAW A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WERE VERY UPSET WITH THE FUNDING PROCESS AND YOU WANNA SEE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE WAS ASKING FOR US TO COMPLETELY SCRAP IT AND WORK FROM SCRATCH.
WE KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEMS ARE.
THE PROBLEMS ARE THAT THE PANELISTS SOMETIMES DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THEY WERE REVIEWING.
AND THE MONEY
NOW ALL OF THE THINGS THAT WERE PUT INTO THERE TO SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS THAT HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERFUNDED, UM, LIKE THAT IS LIKE STILL REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHY THAT'S SPECULATIVE AT THIS POINT.
UM, AND I'M JUST RAMBLING AT THIS POINT AND I WILL DIE ON THIS HILL AND I WILL KEEP SCREAMING THIS SAME STUFF OVER AND OVER.
Y'ALL, Y'ALL HAVE HEARD ME UP HERE.
Y'ALL KNOW WHAT I SAY, SO I'M GONNA KEEP SAYING IT.
AND I DON'T MEAN TO BE MEAN, I'M JUST PUTTING IT OUT THERE.
I KNOW THERE WASN'T A QUESTION, BUT, BUT IF I MAY OFFER A FEW, UH, JUST RESPONSES AS CONTEXT IN CASE THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, AS FAR AS THE, THE ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES HAPPENING BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NOT THE INTENTION.
UM, LIKE I SAID, IT WILL BE ROLLED OUT TOMORROW TO THE PUBLIC.
UM, WE ARE GIVING YOU A PREVIEW HERE TONIGHT TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ARE.
WE GAVE A PREVIEW AT THE PAST COMMISSION TO JUST KIND OF SHARE BIG BUCKETS OF WHAT THEY'LL BE.
THERE WILL BE OPEN INVITATIONS TO ATTEND EVERYTHING.
UM, EXCEPT FOR THE WORK GROUP, YOU'RE RIGHT, THAT DID START AS AN INVITATION.
LIKE WE OUTREACH DIRECTLY TO FOLKS.
AND UM, THE REASONING BEHIND THAT WAS, AS YOU MENTIONED, WE'RE ON QUITE A TIME CRUNCH.
AND SO WHEN THAT IDEA CAME UP AS BEING ONE OF THE ENGAGEMENT TOUCHPOINTS, UH, THE EASIEST WAY TO ELEVATE THAT WAS TO HAVE A SPRINGBOARD FOR ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAD ALREADY, UM, JOINED THE CONVERSATION AT LIKE A LEADERSHIP LEVEL, WHETHER THAT'S ACME LEADERSHIP CITY COUNCIL OR THE CITY MANAGER DIRECTLY.
AND SO THEY SORT OF BUILT A COHORT OF PEOPLE THEY WANTED TO REACH OUT TO.
IF THERE'S ANYBODY IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WOULD STILL LIKE TO PARTICIPATE, UM, IT IS NOT TOO LATE AND WE WOULD BE HAPPY TO REACH OUT TO YOU TOMORROW AND SHARE SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I CAN PROVIDE INFO ON HOW TO DO THAT.
BUT FOR THE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO GET INVOLVED, UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY, UM, PEOPLE WHO ARE PAST RECIPIENTS AS WELL AS PEOPLE WHO'VE MISSED OUT ON FUNDING.
AND SO THAT'S, THAT WAS THE INTENTION BEHIND CREATING MULTIPLE DIFFERENT TOUCH POINTS OVER THE NEXT, UM, 10 WEEKS OR HOWEVER LONG IT WAS THAT YOU MENTIONED, SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO CAPTURE THAT VIRTUALLY IN PERSON.
LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU'RE CREATING, SO I'VE LOOKED AT THIS LIKE CHART, RIGHT? AND I DON'T THINK THIS CHART HAS BEEN MADE PUBLIC YET, BUT, AND I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I'M ALLOWED TO SAY THIS, BUT I DON'T REALLY CARE.
SO THERE'S A CHART THAT BASICALLY SHOWS KIND OF HOW THE DECISION PROCESS IS GONNA BE MADE.
AND A BIG PART OF THAT IS YES, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, RIGHT? BUT ULTIMATELY, LIKE WE ALL KNOW HOW SYSTEMS WORK IN THE GOVERNMENT AND WE KNOW THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A WORKING GROUP BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, BUT YOU'RE ALSO GETTING PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, THAT PRIVATE GROUP IS GONNA BE MAKING THE DECISIONS.
AND THAT PRIVATE GROUP IS THEN GOING TO PRESENT THOSE DECISIONS TO THE ARTS COMMISSION AND THE COUNCIL.
SO ALL OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SCREAMING, RIGHT? AND THAT ARE SAYING DON'T DO THIS, THEY MAY BE CONSIDERED IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS OR THEY MAY NOT.
AND I THINK THE IMPORTANT TAKEAWAY FOR YOU, THE GOVERNMENT TO UNDERSTAND IS WE, THE PEOPLE, AND I REALIZE THE IRONY OF ME SITTING UP HERE, BUT WE, THE PEOPLE HAVE OFTEN FELT LIKE OUR CONCERNS WERE DISMISSED.
AND SO IF WE'RE TRYING TO REBUILD TRUST, PUTTING IN ALL OF THESE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE, LIKE THERE
[01:45:01]
ARE THREE, FOUR PEOPLE IN THE ROOM RIGHT NOW WHERE I WOULD BE LIKE, THIS PERSON, THIS PERSON, THIS PERSON, THIS PERSON ON THAT WORKING GROUP, BUT GUESS WHAT? THEY'RE NOT ELIGIBLE BASED ON THE CRITERIA BASED, BASED ON THOSE SYSTEMIC BARRIERS THAT YOU PUT IN PLACE.SO THAT TO ME IS LIKE A BIG RED FLAG.
AND UH, YEAH, THAT'S JUST WHAT I HAVE TO SHARE.
I THINK WHEN YOU'RE CLOSING THE DOOR TO PEOPLE THAT CAN SPEAK TO THOSE LIVED EXPERIENCES, LIVED EXPERIENCES, TRUMP DATA, TIME AND TIME AGAIN, AN ANALOGY IS YOU GO ON THE STREET AND YOU ASK A LOW INCOME PERSON WHAT THEIR EXPERIENCES WITH BEING LOW INCOME VERSUS READING A DATA POINT.
YES, BOTH ARE VALID PIECES OF INFORMATION, BUT I'M ALWAYS GONNA GO TO THE LIVED EXPERIENCE AND THE PERSON VERSUS THE DATA POINT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A LIST OF THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THIS WORKING GROUP THAT IS PRIVATE, SO THAT AS A PUBLIC PERSON IN THE ARTS, LIKE I THINK NOT AS A COMMISSIONER BUT AS A PERSON IN THE ARTS, I THINK THAT EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM SHOULD GET A LIST OF THOSE PEOPLE LIKE TOMORROW IF IT'S GONNA LAUNCH TOMORROW.
BEFORE WE MOVE ON, 'CAUSE I, I KNOW YOU HAVE YOUR HAND RAISED AND I KNOW EVERYONE ELSE HAS QUESTIONS.
JUST TO, JUST TO ADD, UH, TWO MORE PIECES OF FEEDBACK IN CASE IT'S HELPFUL.
UM, THE, THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WILL BE WHAT IS USED TO INFORM THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE.
UM, THERE WILL BE AN ELEMENT OF STAFF WORKING ON THIS.
UM, THERE, THERE IS ALWAYS AN ELEMENT THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO MAKE THE FINAL DECISION FOR GUIDELINES WHEN WE MOVE FORWARD.
UM, AND HISTORICALLY THAT HAS LIED AS A TASK FOR STAFF.
AND THIS, THIS RESET WAS AN ATTEMPT TO MEET THE COMMUNITY WHERE THEY WERE AT, TO PUT THAT IN THE HANDS OF SOME OTHER PEOPLE TO HELP CO-CREATE THIS.
UM, SO THOSE ARE, THAT'S A A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE INTENTION THERE AND WHY WE'RE SEEING THAT SHIFT.
AND AS FAR AS THE CONFLICT OF INTEREST GOES, UM, THAT'S DECIDED AT THE, AT THE LEGAL LEVEL BY THE LAWYERS.
UM, AND THAT IS WHAT OUR LAW DEPARTMENT ADVISED WHEN CITY LEADERSHIP STARTED LOOKING AT THIS.
AND SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THOSE BARRIERS THERE.
I KEEP HEARING THE WORD LIKE BARRIERS AND LIKE THERE ARE LEGAL BARRIERS AROUND PEOPLE WHO ARE ENGAGED IN THE GRANT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A REASON CITY STAFF AREN'T ELIGIBLE TO RECEIVE IT AND THE LAWYERS HAVE FORMED THEIR OPINION AROUND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR OTHER PEOPLE ALSO CO-CREATING THOSE GUIDELINES AND THOSE QUESTIONS AND THAT WORK.
WE HEAR YOUR CONCERNS AND, AND THEY WILL BE HEARD AND ELEVATED.
I KNOW OUR LEADERSHIP IS WATCHING TONIGHT, SO THEY, IT THEY WON'T GO ON DEAF EARS.
WE WILL CONTINUE TO CONSIDER THAT.
AND I WILL SAY I'VE BEEN BACK FOR THREE WEEKS, UM, AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EVOLUTION OF THIS PROJECT IN THOSE THREE WEEKS.
SO IT'S ABSOLUTELY POSSIBLE THAT THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE MORE EVOLUTIONS AS WE TRY TO BETTER REACH WHAT THE GOALS ARE HERE AND HOW WE CAN BEST ACHIEVE THAT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK.
UM, COMMISSIONER NEY AND I TOOK A LOT OF NOTES AND I KNOW EVERYBODY'S WATCHING, SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO GO BACK AND SEE WHO EITHER COMMISSIONER, SMALL BLOCK.
AND MORGAN, I APPRECIATE YOU STANDING UP HERE.
KNOW YOU HAVEN'T BEEN BACK VERY LONG AND YOU'RE LIKE DOWNLOADING A LOT AT ONCE.
BUT FIRST EVERYTHING SHE SAID, ALSO EVERYTHING WE HEARD IN PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, LIKE I THINK THAT REITERATED WHAT FEA SAID OR COMMISSIONER CHENEY SAID, WHICH IS NOBODY ASKED FOR A TOTAL REVAMPING OF THESE PROGRAMS. AND THIS IS, WE HAVE SO MUCH INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WENT RIGHT AND WHAT WENT WRONG WITH RESPECT TO THE ARTS COMMISSION WORKING GROUPS.
WE, A, A GOOD NUMBER OF US DID NOT AGREE WITH THE FIRST SET OF RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND BONNIE OR SOMEONE ELSE CALLED THAT OUT THAT THERE WERE SORT OF LIKE TWO FACTIONS ON AND THOSE WERE HIGHLIGHTED.
THESE THINGS WERE NOT, WE DIDN'T REACH CONSENSUS.
THEY DIDN'T REACH CONSENSUS IN THE ORIGINAL WORKING GROUP, WHICH WAS PART OF WHY WE HAD A SECOND WORKING GROUP, WHICH INCLUDED DIFFERENT COMMISSIONERS AND ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
WE STARTED MEETING AND WE WERE GETTING REALLY NITTY GRITTY.
WE GOT COPIES OF THE GRANT, SOME OF THE GRANTS FROM ORGANIZATIONS THAT WERE NOT FUNDED THAT WERE SURPRISED THAT EVERYBODY, AND WE DUG INTO THOSE.
WE LOOKED AT THE PANEL COMMENTS, WE LOOKED AT THE VIDEOS AND WE STARTED TO SAY LIKE, WHAT BROKE HERE? 'CAUSE SOMETHING SERIOUSLY BROKE IF SOME OF OUR ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE ALL KNOW ARE SERVING, UM, LOTS OF FOLKS IN THIS COMMUNITY DIDN'T GET GRANTS.
SO WE WERE REALLY TRYING TO GET IN THERE AND SAY WHAT WENT WRONG WITH THE GUIDELINES, WITH THE RUBRIC, WITH THE SCORING WITH THE JURY THAT WE CAN MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT.
THEN THAT GROUP GOT SUBSUMED INTO THIS NEW WORKING GROUP, HYPOTHETICALLY, ALTHOUGH NOT ALL OF THE FOLKS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THAT WORKING GROUP ARE ELIGIBLE TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BIGGER WORKING GROUP.
AND THAT INCLUDES OUR ARTISTS, A BUNCH OF ARTISTS AND ORGANIZATIONAL LEADERS WHO CAN'T PARTICIPATE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS IF WE FOUND OUT FROM LEGAL THAT PEOPLE CAN'T, THAT THE MOST
[01:50:01]
IMPORTANT PEOPLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS PROCESS CAN'T BECAUSE THEY'RE GONNA BE WRITING GUIDELINES, THEN MAYBE IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING OTHER THAN WRITING THE GUIDELINES SO THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOST IMPACTED HAVE THE MOST LIVED EXPERIENCE, WHICH IS DATA CAN BE PART OF THE PROCESS.AND YOU SAID IF ANYBODY STILL WANTS TO BE, AND I KNOW I SOUND AGGRESSIVE AND I DON'T MEAN TO, I'M JUST REALLY FRUSTRATED BY THIS, THAT ANYBODY WHO STILL WANTS TO PARTICIPATE CAN, WELL IT'S 40 HOURS OF COMMITMENT, UNPAID TWO EVENINGS A WEEK, NO CHILDCARE OFFERED DURING THE SUMMER.
AND BY THE WAY, YOU CAN'T PARTICIPATE IN THE CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS FOR TWO YEARS.
THAT'S NOT ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE.
AND SOME OF THAT'S JUST LIKE EQUITY 1 0 1 STUFF.
BUT I AM SHOCKED WE ARE STILL NOT DEALING WITH IN 2025.
UM, THERE'S A WHOLE BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
I THINK ANOTHER BIG ISSUE WITH THIS IS THE TIMELINE.
I SPOKE TO MY COUNCIL MEMBER REPRESENTATIVE ON FRIDAY.
'CAUSE I WAS LIKE, WHY IS THIS BEING RUSHED SO MUCH THAT WE CAN'T BE THOROUGH ABOUT IT? THIS IS SUPER CONSEQUENTIAL STUFF.
AND HE SAID THAT THERE ISN'T THAT PRESSURE COMING AT LEAST FROM THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO WE JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, WHY IS THIS BEING RUSHED SO MUCH WHEN IT'S SO IMPORTANT.
UM, I WROTE A LIST EARLIER SO I'M REFERENCING IT.
UM, ANOTHER THING THAT I THINK IS CHALLENGING, I APPRECIATE THE HOLISTIC, LIKE TRYING TO LOOK AT THINGS.
ALL OF THE PROGRAMS OVERALL, I WAS ASKED TO BE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
I KNOW CULTURAL ARTS, I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT HISTORIC PRESERVATION, NOR DO I KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT MUSIC.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHY I WOULD BE ASKED THE COMMENT OR HELP WRITE GUIDELINES FOR THINGS THAT I HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO LIVED EXPERIENCE OR EXPERTISE IN WHATSOEVER.
AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THE PEOPLE WHO ARE THE MUSIC FOLKS AND THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION FOLKS, THERE ARE A COUPLE PEOPLE WHO DO EVERYTHING.
BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE FOLKS WOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY AND BE LIKE, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THIS.
WHY AM I BEING ASKED TO WRITE THE GUIDELINES FOR SOMETHING THAT I HAVE NO TOUCHPOINT ON? MM-HMM
I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE WOULD DO THAT.
AND BACK TO THE FACT THAT WE JUST HAVE A TON OF, I'M REALLY SAD THAT WE'RE LOSING THE SECOND PHASE WORKING GROUP, WHICH IS FOR ARTS COMMISSION THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE DIGGING INTO SOME OF THE MORE CONTROVERSIAL OR LIKE NOT CONSENSUS BUILDING A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT PEOPLE SPOKE TO WHEN THEY TALKED DURING PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND NOW WE'RE LOSING MOST OF THE PEOPLE WHO WERE PART OF THAT WORKING GROUP BECAUSE THEY'RE NOW INELIGIBLE TO BE PART OF THE, THE MEGA WORKING GROUP.
UH, YEAH,
WE'RE GONNA START NEW PROGRAMS AND THEN WE WILL, THEY WILL STILL BE IMPERFECT AND THERE WILL STILL NOT BE ENOUGH MONEY.
AND THEN WE WILL HAVE LOST ANY CONTROL VARIABLES 'CAUSE WE STARTED FROM SCRATCH INSTEAD OF ADJUSTING THE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ALREADY FROM ALL THE FOLKS IN THIS ROOM AND ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE PARTICIPATED NEED TO BE FIXED.
SO I'M ASKING CAN WE JUST FIX THOSE THINGS? SO I CAN'T ANSWER THAT SPECIFIC QUESTION, COMMISSIONER SCHWABA.
AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T, BUT, UM, I, I APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK AND I HEAR YOU.
UM, THE ONLY, THE ONLY COMMENT I WANTED TO OFFER IN RESPONSE TO SOME OF THE THINGS YOU SAID IS, UM, I DO THINK THERE'S BEEN THIS PERCEPTION THAT WE ARE COMPLETELY JUST STARTING WITH A BLANK PAGE AND TYPING IN WORDS TO CREATE, IT'S CALLED THE GUIDE.
SO I'M HERE TO OFFER SOME CLARITY THAT THAT IS NOT THE INTENTION.
THE INTENTION IS TO START WITH REDLINING OF PREVIOUS GUIDELINES USING PREVIOUS FEEDBACK THAT WAS GIVEN FROM THE COMMISSION, UM, AND KIND OF USING IT AS A SPRINGBOARD WHEN WE TALK ABOUT BUILDING A NEW FUNDING ECOSYSTEM, A NEW SET OF GUIDELINES, UM, I MEAN THERE ARE QUESTIONS ON THE TABLE IF IT WILL BE NINE DIFFERENT SETS OF GUIDELINES AS IT IS NOW, OR IF THERE WILL BE SOME TRUNCATING, SOME PUSHING THOSE INTO ONE SET.
UM, SOME OTHER PEER CITIES THAT WE HAVE BEEN ASKED TO LOOK AT.
UH, WE'LL HAVE ONE SET OF GUIDELINES WHERE THEY LIST ALL THE PROGRAMS INSIDE OF THEM.
SO IT'S KIND OF JUST WILL THERE BE A DIFFERENT FORMAT FOR THAT? A LOT OF THE CONTENT I ASSUME WILL STAY THE SAME OR BE SIMILAR, ESPECIALLY FOR PROGRAMS LIKE THE HERITAGE PRESERVATION GRANT, UM, BECAUSE IT'S A SMALLER PROGRAM, HAS A BIG DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT IT'S, IT'S A VERY NICHE SPECIFIC PROGRAM, UM, THAT'S BEEN BUILT.
SO I, I THINK THERE'S SOME EXPECTATION THAT SOME OF THE GOOD THINGS, THINGS THAT WE LIKE, THINGS THAT WORK WILL PERSIST AND THAT WILL BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, AND ALSO THERE, THERE IS A GOAL TO HAVE EVERYONE'S VOICE THROUGH THOSE DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES, TO NOT HAVE THE WORKING GROUP BE WEIGHTED A LOT MORE HEAVILY.
THEY ARE JUST THE BODY WHO IS TAKING IN ALL THE INFORMATION TO ACTUALLY MAKE THE CHANGES TO HELP LIKE PHYSICALLY DO THE CO-CREATION.
BUT THE GOAL IS FOR IT TO STILL BE INFORMED BY ALL THESE OTHER ACTIVITIES AND PASS FEEDBACK,
[01:55:03]
OH, COMMISSIONER KEYS AND THEN COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, THE CONCERNS AS WELL AS IT RELATED TO THE TIMELINE.BUT, UM, NOT ONLY THE TIMELINES, UM, HONESTLY JUST COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER FATIGUE.
UM, TODAY ACTUALLY STARTS THE, UM, 2026 BOND COMMUNICATIONS AND OUTREACH AS WELL.
AND SO THIS OVERHAUL IS ALSO HAPPENING WHERE, UM, LIKE, YOU KNOW, BOND HAS LOOKED AT JUST REALLY OVERHAULING ITS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS AND INFORMING PROCESS AND BEING A LOT MORE JUST INVOLVED.
UM, AND I SEE SOME SIMILARITIES IN THESE AS WELL.
BUT YEAH, I'M JUST KIND OF, I LIKE, I KIND OF OPERATE IN THE MUSIC, CULTURAL ARTS AND CULTURAL PRESERVATION, HAVING THAT, UM, BACKGROUND AND INTERSECTION.
I KNOW A LOT OF CULTURAL ARTISTS, UM, WHO, WHO HAVE SIMILAR BACKGROUNDS AS WELL.
AND SO I'M JUST KIND OF SEEING LIKE THE COM THE CITY IS ASKING FOR A LOT OF FEEDBACK, A LOT, UM, FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR A LOT OF THINGS THAT MEAN A LOT
UM, AND SO THAT'S JUST ALSO JUST ONE OF MY CONCERNS TOO.
UM, I THINK COMMISSIONER SMALL BOX JUST KIND OF SPOKE TO JUST THE ACCESSIBILITY AND SO I'M LIKE, IF A, A LOT OF TIMES I'VE JUST FOUND IN BEING IN PUBLIC INFORMATION AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED AND ARE IN THE KNOW ARE THE SAME PEOPLE WHO ARE INVOLVED AND IN THE KNOW, IN CARE AND, AND THEY'RE USUALLY THE MICRO INFLUENCERS IN THEIR COMMUNITIES AND THEIR NETWORKS AND SOUNDING BOARDS THAT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE WHO MAY LACK LESS ACCESS RESOURCES AND CAN'T MAKE ALL OF THE MEETINGS.
AND SO I'M JUST ALSO THINKING OF THE PEOPLE AND THE COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS AND THAT FATIGUE IN A LOT OF THE CITY ASKING FOR INFORMATION THAT I THINK HONESTLY SHOULD BE HISTORICAL AT THIS TIME.
AND, AND WE, WE CAN PULL, AND I THINK YOU EVEN SAID THAT WE CAN PULL FROM A LOT OF THAT HISTORICALLY, BUT, BUT YEAH, I JUST THINK THAT THAT IS A CONCERN FOR MINE.
THE, THE TIMELINE AND HOW IT'S OVERLAPPING WITH A LOT OF OTHER PO UM, JUST IMPORTANT CITY TIMELINES THAT REQUIRE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, THANK YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO, UH, REITERATE, I GUESS IT'S JUST DISAPPOINTMENT FROM THE, FROM THE COMMISSION WORKING GROUP VERSION TWO, UM, BECAUSE WE'VE WE'RE KIND OF GETTING GOING AND IT FELT LIKE WE, WE PAUSED IN ORDER TO BE FOLDED IN.
AND THE EXPECTATION OF ALL 11 MEMBERS FROM THAT, UH, WORKING GROUP WAS THAT WE WOULD BE SUBSUMED BY THE ACME WORKING GROUP.
AND IT SEEMS THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WEREN'T COMMUNICATED WITH.
SO, UM, I'M HAPPY TO PROVIDE THAT LIST AGAIN IF THERE WAS SOME KIND OF, UM, LAPSE THERE.
I DO THINK THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WORKING GROUP WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO, UM, MEET THE STANDARD OF, OF GIVING TWO NIGHTS A WEEK AND FOR SO LONG, BUT THEY SHOULD AT LEAST BE INVITED.
SO, UM, I WILL SEND YOU THAT LIST AGAIN, BUT, UM, I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT, THAT THAT DIDN'T FEEL, UH, GREAT BECAUSE IT SEEMED LIKE THAT, THAT THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY HAPPENING AND, YOU KNOW, I TOLD THE WORKING GROUP THAT THAT WAS HAPPENING AND THEN IT DIDN'T HAPPEN.
SO, UH, THAT WAS NOT A SUPER BEGINNING FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, 11 PEOPLE.
SO I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT AND, UH, SAY LET'S TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT GROUP OF PEOPLE ARE INVITED AND, UH, AND GIVE THEM THE CHANCE TO TURN IT DOWN.
UM, IF POSSIBLE, COULD WE GET THAT LIST TO OUR STAFF LIAISON, JESUS BARILLA, AND WE'LL MAKE SURE HE PASSES IT UP FOR US? ABSOLUTELY.
LET ME GET COMMISSIONER GARZA.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION SO FAR.
UH, AND I'M GLAD YOU'RE, YOU'RE ALLOWING PARTICIPANTS WHO WEREN'T ENGAGED PREVIOUSLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO ENGAGE COMING UP.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME FOLKS HERE WHO PROBABLY WANNA BE IN THOSE MEETINGS AS WELL.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I ASKED, UH, MS MEANS WHEN SHE WAS HERE, WAS THERE A LIST? WAS THERE, UH, LOCATIONS, ANY MEETINGS WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING DURING THE MONTH OF MAY? UH, BECAUSE MONTH OF MAY WAS ONLY ABOUT A WEEK APART, NOW THE MONTH OF JUNE IS ABOUT A WEEK AWAY.
AND, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS WHO PROBABLY WOULD'VE WANTED TO BE ON THAT THING.
BUT, UH, IS IT A LITTLE TOO LITTLE TOO LATE? YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN WRITTEN, HOW MUCH HAS NOT BEEN WRITTEN? HOW MUCH INPUT ARE YOU ACTUALLY LOOKING FOR? OR ARE YOU JUST LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY WRITTEN, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN INTO A COUPLE OF MEETINGS WHERE SOMETIMES YOU GO IN, IT'S REALLY NOT A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
IT'S LIKE, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA AGREE TO DO.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR SHOWING UP NOW, YOU KNOW, UH, AND I'M ANOTHER THING THAT KIND OF BOTHERED ME A LITTLE BIT.
YOU SAID YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SURVEY THAT ANYONE IN THE COMMUNITY CAN TAKE, IS THAT CORRECT? UH,
[02:00:01]
DID YOU SAY COMMUNITY OR COMMITTEE? UH, NO.UH, YOU DON'T HAVE A TARGETED LIST AS TWO PERSONS YOU WANT TO GO AFTER TO TARGET THOSE PERSONS? WE, WE WILL SHARE THE, UM, THE SURVEY WILL PUSH OUT TO THE STAKEHOLDERS WHO ARE OPTED INTO OUR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE DIRECT COMMUNICATION LINE THAT WE HAVE.
AND THEN WE HAVE A SECONDARY COMMUNICATION PLAN WHERE WE'LL REACH OUT TO QUALITY OF LIFE COMMISSIONS, OTHER COMMISSIONS LIKE TOURISM COMMISSION WITH A VESTED INTEREST.
THE CITY COUNCIL, UM, HAD THE, EACH OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS HAVE A NEWSLETTER, WE'LL BE ASKING THEM TO PLACE THAT IN THEIR NEWSLETTER.
SO WE WILL BE COMMUNICATING WITH EVERYONE THAT WE ARE LEGALLY ALLOWED TO DIRECTLY COMMUNICATE WITH THROUGH OUR CHANNELS, AND WE'LL BE ASKING OTHERS TO AMPLIFY BEYOND THAT AS WELL.
I'M TRYING TO GET PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T SPOKEN YET.
THANK YOU MORGAN AGAIN FOR, FOR THERE.
UM, JUST PLEASE TAKE THIS HOW IT'S INTENDED FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ALL OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
UM, I RECALL TWO OR THREE MEETINGS AGO WHEN I WAS SITTING ON THAT SIDE OF THE DIET, WHEN I HEARD YOU MENTION CONFLICT OF INTEREST ON THE COMMISSION, AND IT WENT, THE CONVERSATION WENT, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT.
BUT THERE WAS, THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE CHOSEN TO REPRESENT THE ARTISTIC COMMUNITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IF YOU REPRESENT AN ARTISTIC COMMUNITY, MOST PEOPLE ARE ARTISTS.
AND I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL JUST EVEN OUTSIDE THE ARTS COMMISSION, THAT THE PROCESS ITSELF IS TAKING THE ARTISTS OUT OF THE PROCESS OF DECISION MAKING.
AND IT FEELS SCARY AS HELL BECAUSE IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE.
AND I THINK THAT I THOUGHT PERHAPS AUSTIN WAS NOT A PLACE THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER BIG STUFF THAT'S GOING ON, BUT THIS FEELS VERY DIVIDED FROM WHAT I FEEL THE ARTISTS IN THIS CITY REALLY WANT.
AND YES, IT'S NOT THE FUNDING PROGRAM GUIDELINE.
YES, THERE'S, THERE'S THINGS THAT NEED TO BE CITED, PUSHED AROUND.
IT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE ADJUSTED ON LEVELS FOR YEARS.
EVERY YEAR SOMETHING'S GONNA HAPPEN, BUT WHATEVER THIS IS THAT YOU CAN'T BE A PART OF THE, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY HAS AN ORGANIZATION OR WORKS AROUND AN ORGANIZATION AND CAN'T APPLY FOR A GRANT, AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT ME, I'M NOT EVEN IN IT ANYMORE.
BUT IT'S, HOW CAN YOU TAKE THE ARTISTS THAT ARE ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY OUT OF THE GUIDELINE AND DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
AND I'M SORRY I KEEP LOSING MY TEMPER TONIGHT, BUT IT'S JUST THAT KIND OF NIGHT.
COMMISSIONER CINI, YES, I DO HAVE AN ACTUAL QUESTION THIS TIME,
UM, IS THERE ANY SORT OF DOCUMENTATION THAT YOU CAN SHARE PUBLICLY ON HOW THOSE GUIDELINES WERE MADE? BECAUSE I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE LEGAL CLAIMS MADE IN THAT, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BETTER INFORM, I THINK, HOW EVERYBODY'S FEELING IN THIS ROOM.
SO THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION, UM, IF THAT CAN BE PROVIDED.
MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, IS STAFF INVOLVED IN WRITING THE GUIDELINES? AND I THINK THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT ONE.
UM, AS ONE OF THE PRESENTERS MENTIONED, UH, ANNE-MARIE IS AN ANGEL AND KNOWS SO MUCH.
AND I WOULD HATE TO SEE FOLKS THAT HAVE DEDICATED THEIR CAREERS TO GRANT MAKING AND BEING ARTS PRODUCERS, UM, ON THE CITY SIDE AND AUSTIN BE CUT OUT FROM THAT PROCESS.
SO I WOULD LOVE TO SEE PEOPLE LIKE JESUS WHO HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, SINCE I WAS A TEENAGER,
I'M NOT TRYING TO HATE YOU, I'M JUST TRYING TO BE NICE.
SORRY,
SO TO CUT THIS MAN OUT, OR ANNE-MARIE OR JESUS, NUMBER TWO
UM, AND THEN THE THIRD THING IS A COMMENT, WHICH IS I THINK EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM WOULD BE A LOT MORE HAPPY IF THIS TIME WAS BEING SPENT BY THIS NEW DIVISION, UM, RESEARCHING DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT AREN'T HOT AND NOT TRYING TO REWRITE AN ENTIRE PROCESS.
SO THAT, I THINK IS A, IS UP HERE FOR OUR PRIORITIES, ESPECIALLY GIVEN WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND ALSO WE'VE BEEN ECHOING THIS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, SINCE THE DAWN OF TIME, I THINK.
UM, SO THOSE ARE MY THREE THINGS.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE, UH, DOCUMENTATION FROM LEGAL ON HOW
[02:05:01]
THOSE GUIDELINES WERE DRAFTED, DRAFTED.I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF I'M SAYING THAT RIGHT.
NUMBER TWO IS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF, UH, THESE TWO, JESUSES AND ANNMARIE AND THE OTHER PEOPLE ARE GONNA BE INVOLVED HEAVILY INVOLVED IN THAT GUIDELINES PROCESS.
AND NUMBER THREE IS, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF ON THIS CREATIVE RESET WE'RE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVES TO HOT, THAT THOSE WOULD BE THREE GREAT THINGS I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW.
I CAN ANSWER THOSE IN THE ORDER THAT CAME IN.
UM, AS FAR AS ACCESS TO DOCUMENTS AROUND CONVERSATIONS WITH LEGAL, NO, LAWYERS DON'T ALLOW US TO DISCLOSE CLIENT CONFIDENTIALITY AND ALL OF THAT.
SO WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DISCLOSE OUR CONVERSATIONS, BUT WE CAN DIRECT YOU TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S, UM, ETHICS POLICY, WHICH IS ON THE WEBSITE.
IN OUR PRE-MEETING FOR THE WORK GROUP, WE HAD ONE OF OUR LAWYERS ATTEND TO DIRECTLY ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT CONFLICTS OF INTEREST.
AND HE WENT TO THE WEBSITE TO PULL IT UP.
IT'S A PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE DOCUMENT.
UM, IF YOU DON'T WANNA WAIT FOR ME TO SHARE THAT LINK, YOU CAN JUST GOOGLE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, ETHICS POLICY AND IT WILL POP UP THAT THAT KIND OF GOES OVER, UH, WHERE THE LEGAL OPINIONS COME FROM.
UM, AS FAR AS STAFF INVOLVEMENT, UM, I'LL BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU, WE KNOW WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE STAFF.
THEY ARE TENURED PROFESSIONALS.
THEIR OPINIONS ARE VERY VALUED.
THEY WERE INCREDIBLY HEAVILY INVOLVED IN WRITING ALL THE PREVIOUS GUIDELINES.
THE REASON WE ARE TAKING A HARD FORK AND ENGAGING OTHER PEOPLE IN THAT PROCESS, WE'RE NOT EXCLUDING THEM.
THEY'RE STILL A PART OF THE PROCESS, BUT WE ARE OPENING THE DOORS.
THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO OPEN IT TO OTHER PEOPLE IS BECAUSE THAT WAS DIRECT FEEDBACK.
WHETHER OR NOT IT CAME FROM YOU PERSONALLY, THAT WAS DIRECT FEEDBACK THAT WAS GIVEN.
AND SO THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE GOOD ON FEEDBACK THAT WAS RECEIVED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT LEVELS.
THEY WILL STILL BE ENGAGED IN THE PROCESS.
AND LIKE I MENTIONED BEFORE, WE'RE NOT STARTING ON A BLANK DOCUMENT.
WE'RE STARTING AT A, AT A FRAMEWORK THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY PERSONALLY BUILT THROUGH YEARS OF HARD WORK AND YEARS OF PREVIOUS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THEIR OPINIONS ARE INCREDIBLY VALUED.
WE, WE LOVE WORKING WITH THEM AND WE DON'T WANT THEM TO FEEL DEVALUED IN THIS EITHER.
SO THEY'RE A VALUE AND THEY'LL BE A PART OF THE PROCESS.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU CALLING THAT OUT BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE DO HAVE AN INCREDIBLE STAFF AND THANK YOU FOR SAYING THAT.
UM, AND THE THIRD THING IS WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES FOR THE CREATIVE RESET.
OUR NEW DEPARTMENT HAS AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF THINGS ON OUR PRIORITY LIST.
THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT WE HAD WAS TO REVAMP AND LAUNCH OUT FUNDING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
THIS IS THE METHOD THAT WE WERE DOING THAT IN.
WE HAVE OTHER MAJOR THINGS THAT WE WILL BE WORKING ON.
THE NEXT MAJOR PRIORITY WE'LL BE DOING IS KICKING OFF STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR THE DEPARTMENT, WHICH WILL INFORM, UM, POLICIES AND PRACTICES ACROSS, ACROSS THE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? NOT JUST GRANTS.
THIS JUST HAPPENS TO BE THE VERY FIRST PRIORITY THAT WE WERE ASKED TO FOCUS ON.
SO YES, WE WILL BE LOOKING AT THINGS INCLUDING ALTERNATIVE FUNDING SOURCES.
UM, I KNOW A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS HAVE COME OUT SPECIFICALLY FROM THIS COMMISSION AS WELL AS OTHER BODIES AROUND THE CITY.
UM, WE HAVE A LACK OF PHILANTHROPY.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT WE, WE SEE THE DEFICIT AS WELL, AND THAT IS A PRIORITY THAT WE WILL BE FOCUSING ON IN THE COMING MONTHS.
THIS IS JUST THE FIRST THING WE'RE DOING.
SO JUST TO REITERATE, THE FIRST THING YOU SAID GOING TO THE ETHICS CODE AND THE LAWYER ADVISED YOU BASED ON THEIR OPINION.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING IS THERE'S ACTUALLY NOT A LAW THAT'S STATING THAT SOMEBODY THAT RECEIVES FUNDING OR WANTS TO APPLY FOR FUNDING OR HAS GOTTEN FUNDING IN THE PAST YEAR, CAN'T BE INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
IT WAS TOLD TO YOU BY YOUR REPRESENTATION THAT IT WOULD PROBABLY BE BEST PRACTICE TO NOT INCLUDE THOSE PEOPLE, BUT IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT A LAW.
AND I'VE BEEN HERE FOR THREE WEEKS, AS I SAID.
SO I WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THESE INITIAL CONVERSATIONS.
BUT WHAT I WILL SAY, AGAIN, NOT A LAWYER TRADEMARK.
BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS ALL INTERPRETATION OF THE LAW IS OPINION.
SO THAT IS WHAT I MEANT BY THEIR OPINION.
YOU WILL GET TWO DIFFERENT LAWYERS WHO INTERPRET THE LAW IN TWO DIFFERENT WAYS.
THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE APPELLATE COURT.
LET'S COURT, LET'S, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE SUPREME COURT.
THERE ARE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF, OF LEGAL OPINION, AND THAT'S WHY THERE ARE, UM, CHECKS AND BALANCES INTERESTING FROM ME, NOT A LAWYER.
SO, SO DID MULTIPLE LAWYERS LOOK AT THIS ETHICS CODE AND DID THEY TELL YOU DIFFERENT THINGS? I'M, I'M JUST SURE.
I GUESS WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS WHY YOU WOULD DISCOUNT THE MOST KNOWLEDGEABLE PEOPLE IN AUSTIN FROM THE PROCESS IF IT WASN'T INHERENTLY TO CAUSE HARM.
AND I KNOW THAT THAT IS NOT THE INTENT, BUT I'M REALLY TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RATIONALE.
AND SO AGAIN, NEITHER OF US ARE LAWYERS.
DON'T EVEN, IS THERE A LAWYER IN THE ROOM? CAN YOU EXPLAIN LAW TO ME? I
[02:10:01]
WOULD JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE CAME TO THIS CONCLUSION.BECAUSE IT JUST DOES NOT MAKE SENSE TO ME.
I CANNOT FULLY ANSWER THIS FOR YOU.
AS I WAS NOT IN THE ROOM FOR EVERY SINGLE CONVERSATION, UM, ESPECIALLY NOT WITH EVERY LAWYER.
THE CITY HAS AN ENTIRE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE MANY LAWYERS ON STAFF.
WE WORK WITH LOTS OF DIFFERENT LAWYERS.
WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THE INTENT WAS TO FOLLOW THE CITY'S POLICY.
THAT WILL ALWAYS BE THE INTENT.
WHEN WE WORK WITH OUR STAFF, WE ARE HELD TO A STANDARD OF FOLLOWING CITY POLICY.
AND SO WHEN WE CONSULT WITH LEGAL, WE CONSULT WITH LEGAL ALL THE TIME ON ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND OUR INTENT IS ALWAYS TO STAY WITHIN THE LAW AS IT'S WRITTEN WITHIN STATE STATUTES, ORDINANCES, AND WITHIN CITY POLICY, WE HAVE LAYERS OF THINGS THAT GUIDE WHAT WE DO.
AND SO THAT IS THE INTENT WHEN WE GO TO THE LAWYERS, THAT IS NOT TO SAY, HOW CAN WE GATE KEEP THIS? AND I KNOW YOU DON'T THINK THAT, BUT LIKE THE, THE INTENT IS HOW CAN WE DO THIS WITHIN THE BOUNDS THAT WE ARE GIVEN? YEAH, OKAY.
I STILL HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT I'M GONNA GO, I I'M ADDING ON TO THAT, WHICH IS TO COME ABOUT THAT A DIFFERENT WAY, WHICH IS, IF YOU BRING A PROPOSAL TO THE, TO LEGAL AND THEY SAY, WELL, THE PEOPLE WHO PURSUE THESE GRANTS CAN'T BE INCLUDED IN THIS PROCESS.
INSTEAD OF SAYING, OKAY, WELL THEN WE WON'T HAVE ANYBODY WHO LIKE THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSTITUENCIES TO THIS PROCESS INVOLVED, WHY NOT SAY, WELL, WHAT CAN WE DO? WHAT NEEDS TO CHANGE ABOUT THIS PROPOSED PROCESS SO THAT THE MOST IMPORTANT VOICES CAN BE PART OF IT, RATHER THAN JUST SAYING, OKAY, WELL THAT'S WHAT LAW SAYS.
IT, YEAH, I FELT, I FELT CONFIDENT THAT THE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENED IN A, IN, IN A MANY DIFFERENT WAYS TO DISCUSS WHAT THE OPTIONS WERE.
UM, WE, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WE JUST SAID, HERE'S ONE OPTION AND THAT'S IT.
WELL, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE WHAT OTHER OPTIONS.
I KNOW YOU CAN'T SAY WHAT THE LAW LEGAL TEAM SAID, BUT IT WOULD BE REALLY NICE TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OTHER OPTIONS WERE PRESENTED.
AND THE REASON WHY IT FEELS LIKE SUCH A BIG DEAL.
AND I WAS AT THE LAUNCH MEETING FOR THIS WORKING GROUP TODAY, AND IT WAS ASKED THERE AS WELL, IS, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS ALL TREATED EQUALLY, BUT IT'S VERY HARD TO BELIEVE THAT A WORKING GROUP BEING ASKED TO PUT IN 40 HOURS OF TIME IS GONNA BE TREATED WITH THE SAME LEVEL OF INFLUENCE AS SOMEONE WHO FILLS OUT A SURVEY.
SO IT REALLY DOES MATTER WHO IS INVOLVED IN THAT WORKING GROUP.
AND I HEAR AND BELIEVE THAT THE INTENTION IS TO BE HOLISTIC AND IN, AND GET INPUT FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT WAYS.
BUT WHY WOULD I PUT IN 40? WHY WOULD I'M, I'M A COMMISSIONER, WHY WOULD SOMEONE ELSE PUT IN 40 HOURS OF UNPAID LABOR WHEN THEY COULD JUST FILL OUT A SURVEY AND IT WOULD BE TREATED WITH THE SAME VALUE? THAT SEEMS BIZARRE, I THINK, TO PEOPLE, WHICH IS WHY IT'S SUCH A CONCERN.
I JUST WANT TO, UM, STATE THAT MET WITH CANDACE THE WEEK AFTER OUR LAST COMMISSION MEETING.
AND WHEN THE PLAN WAS ROLLED OUT, IT WAS SUGGESTED AND IN THE EMAIL THAT, UH, CANDACE COOPER SENT THAT THIS IS NOT REWRITING FROM SCRATCH.
WE ARE BUILDING A FOUNDATION OF COMMUNITY WISDOM AND IMPROVING SYSTEMS. AND IT DOESN'T, IT, THE GOAL ON THE BACKUP IS CREATE NEW FUNDING PROGRAMS. RIGHT.
WHICH IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT WE TALKED ABOUT.
I SHOULD HAVE CONSULTED WITH CANDACE ON LIKE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE.
BUT I, I AM TRYING TO REITERATE WITH MY WORDS THAT, THAT WE DO HAVE THAT SHARED GOAL OF NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
I APOLOGIZE IF I GAVE A DIFFERENT IMPRESSION.
THE GOAL IS NOT TO START WITH A BLANK DOCUMENT.
IT IS TO START FROM A, A FOUNDATION OF WHAT HAS COME BEFORE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I HAVE IS THAT THIS IS, ONCE AGAIN, IT COMES BACK TO TRANSPARENCY.
BECAUSE THIS WAS A TIMELINE THAT WAS SUGGESTED THREE WEEKS AGO.
A TWO A WEEK AFTER THAT, WE SAID, HEY, WHAT'S GOING ON? WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING.
AND THEN LAST WEEK WE JUST GOT THE EMAIL THAT THIS WAS GONNA HAPPEN BECAUSE OF THE TIME COMMITMENT.
I CAN'T PARTICIPATE AND THERE'S LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WON'T BE ABLE TO PARTICIPATE.
SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING TRANSPARENT WITH ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE ALREADY HAVE AND HOW THAT'S BEING FOLDED INTO ANY NEW INFORMATION THAT WE RECEIVE.
MAKE SURE THAT THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED ISN'T LOST.
'CAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IMAGINE AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN A DECADE AGO AND WE'RE JUST NOW SAYING WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT IMAGINE AUSTIN.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING VERY CLEAR ABOUT HOW WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE WE HEAR REPEATEDLY OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN THAT IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT.
AND THIS IS ONE DECISION THAT WAS MADE OUTSIDE OF THE PUBLIC EYE THAT WE'LL JUST DO EVERYTHING OVER.
AND THAT WAS NOT WHAT WAS ASKED FOR.
[02:15:01]
WHAT WAS ASKED FOR WAS, THIS IS A PILOT PROGRAM, WE, WE SEE WHERE THERE CAN BE SOME CHANGES AND UPDATES AND TWEAKS, AND THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE.AND THAT BLOSSOMED INTO THE CREATIVE RESET, WHICH I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK IS A BAD IDEA, BUT I THINK OUR TIMING HAS NOW SHRUNK SO CONSIDERABLY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE UP AGAINST IT.
UM, ANY COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT THE CREATIVE RESET WHEN YOU FOLLOW UP, CAN, YOU KNOW, LET ME KNOW WHAT THE ETHICS CODE WAS, UM, AND I CAN GET JESUS TO SHARE A LINK.
AND THEN I WANNA GO BACK TO, TO THE CULTURAL CONTRACTS.
THIS IS GONNA BE MY STICKING POINT.
UM, THE FISCAL YEAR, 2023 ELEVATE, WE STILL HAVE EIGHT PAYMENTS THAT ARE OUTSTANDING.
AND 2023 NEXUS, WE HAVE ONE PAYMENT THAT'S OUTSTANDING AND WE'RE IN FISCAL YEAR 2025.
AND SO I PERSONALLY, AS A PERSON THAT DOES BUSINESS, DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW SOMEONE WHOSE CONTRACT WAS OVER GOING ON TWO YEARS AGO HAS STILL NOT FINISHED THEIR CONTRACT REQUIREMENTS.
WERE IN FISCAL YEAR 24 NOW, BECAUSE WE DID CHANGE THE FISCAL YEAR FROM WHEN, UM, IT USED TO BE THE FISCAL YEAR WAS WHEN THE ACTIVITIES TOOK PLACE.
NOW WE DO IT TO WHEN THE MONEY IS, UM, UM, ALLOCATED AND SPENT.
SO, UM, STILL WE'RE A, YOU'RE BEHIND, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, NOTED.
UM, AND SECOND, UM, IN THE, IN SOME OF THE SLIDES YOU SAW, LIKE THE RESEARCH WE'RE DOING WITH THE PEER CITIES, UH, THE STUFF WE'RE DOING WITH THE CREATIVE RESET.
UH, WE ARE STILL WORKING ON, UH, FINAL REPORTS, BUT WE'RE ALSO PRIORITIZING THINGS, UH, BASED ON TIMELINES AND WHAT IS, UH, THE MOST, UH, TIMELY THING THAT WE NEED TO GET OUT.
UH, GIVEN, YOU KNOW, THE NEA RESCISSION, THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT HAVE, UH, LED TO THAT.
SO JUST, UH, JUST TO GIVE THAT A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT, BUT DEFINITELY UNDERSTOOD.
AND WE ARE WORKING TO GET THE, AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, PART OF IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T PAY OUT THEIR FINAL 10%.
SO I MEAN, THESE FOLKS ARE LOSING OUT ON FUNDING THAT THEY ARE ENTITLED TO PRESUMING THEY ACTUALLY DID THEIR EVENTS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, THE VAST MAJORITY DO.
SO, UM, SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN ALSO DO TO MAYBE HELP THEM, YOU KNOW, HURRY UP AND GET THIS TURNED IN, UM, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALSO, YOU KNOW, AND IN ADDITION TO JUST BEING LATE, YOU'RE LOSING OUT ON 10% OF YOUR, UM, AWARD BECAUSE THAT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU, ASSUMING EVERYTHING IS IN GOOD STANDING WITH YOUR FINAL REPORT.
I'M JUST CONCERNED THAT AS WE'RE, WE'RE IN AN ENVIRONMENT OF SHRINKING FUNDING FOR ARTS, THAT, THAT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE ARTISTS ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT THEY ARE REQUIRED TO DO TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE MEETING THOSE GUIDELINES.
BECAUSE WE DON'T NEED ANYBODY POINTING FINGERS AND SAYING, SEE, THESE PEOPLE DIDN'T DO THIS.
THESE PEOPLE, IT TOOK THESE PEOPLE THREE MONTHS TO GET THEIR FINAL REPORT IN A CONTRACT IS A CONTRACT HAS A DEADLINE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ON TOP OF THAT.
ANYTHING ELSE ABOUT CULTURAL ARTS GRANTS OR, UH, COMMISSIONER CHARLA? HI.
UM, SO THE WORKING GROUP, I THINK THE FIRST WORKING GROUP THAT WE, UM, THAT WE VOTED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ANYWHERE WHERE THERE WAS NOT COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, UNANIMITY IN, IN A PARTICULAR CRITERIA.
UM, WE, UH, THAT, THAT'S BEEN HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.
SO I THINK THAT'S VERY CLEAR, UH, THAT, THAT THOSE IDEAS WERE DISCUSSED AND PERHAPS THERE WAS NOT CONSENSUS ON, UH, ANYTHING THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, HIGHLIGHTED ESPECIALLY, RIGHT.
UH, AND STILL THERE WAS, YOU KNOW, SUBSTANTIAL INPUT FOR AND AGAINST CERTAIN, SOME OF THOSE ITEMS. SO I THINK THAT'S CLEAR FROM THE RECOMMENDATION THAT CAME OUT OF THE COMMISSION.
ALSO, I THINK WE REALLY EMPHASIZED IN THAT RECOMMENDATION THAT, AND ALSO WITHIN THAT WORKING GROUP, UM, AS I RECALL, THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE BUILT WITHIN THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK, UH, TAKEN, UH, TAKING, YOU KNOW, THE TIMELINE AND EVERYTHING INTO ACCOUNT, ESPECIALLY SINCE WE WERE SHOOTING FOR A ROLLOUT IN MAY BEFORE, RIGHT? SO IT WAS MADE IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT CAN BE CHANGED IN THE CURRENT FRAMEWORK.
THERE WAS ALSO A PARALLEL ASPIRATION THAT WAS CLEARLY EXPRESSED IN, WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP, UM, AT LEAST BY SEVERAL FOLKS, THAT WE DON'T WANT TO STRATEGICALLY UPDATE CHANGE, REHAUL, WHATEVER WE WANNA CALL IT.
UM, THIS, THE, THE, THE GRANTS AS WE PROGRESS AS WE MOVE FORWARD, RIGHT? SO, AND IT WAS REALLY EMPHASIZED THAT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WERE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF HOW THE GRANTS EXIST TODAY, WHILE WE WANT TO CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AND, AND, AND, AND, AND HOW LARGER UPDATES.
SO IN MY MIND, WHAT I HEARD AND HEAR
[02:20:01]
WITHIN THE WORKING GROUP, AND ALSO FROM THE COMMUNITY AT SOME LEVEL, AND I CAN SEE WHERE, AGAIN, THIS MIGHT NOT BE UNANIMOUS, RIGHT? I MEAN, UH, SOME PEOPLE MIGHT, SOME, UH, COMMUNITY MEMBERS MIGHT BE OKAY WITH TWEAKS TO THE CURRENT GRANTS, BUT THERE'S, THERE WAS ALSO VERY CLEAR, UM, ASK FROM A LOT OF FOLKS TO DO A LARGER STRATEGIC UPDATE.SO, UM, I THINK THAT IS VERY MUCH ON THE TABLE THAT A LARGER STRATEGIC UPDATE MIGHT BE NEEDED, UH, OR AT LEAST PART OF THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING FOR THAT, RIGHT? SO I JUST WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT.
UM, I JUST QUICKLY WANTED TO COMMENT ON THE, THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
SOMEBODY HAD COMMENTED ONE OF THE COMMUNITY MEMBERS, I CAN, I CAN, I CAN SEE THAT THE 50% OF OPERATING OPERATING BUDGET WAS A RECOMMENDATION.
AND I CAN SEE HOW THAT MIGHT DISADVANTAGE SOME OF THE SMALLER GROUPS.
YOU KNOW, I STILL, UM, FEEL THAT, UH, I, I'M JUST THROWING THIS OUT AS AN EXAMPLE.
AN ORGANIZATION WITH $500 BUDGET, GETTING 80 5K DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO ME.
I'M NOT, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT HAS HAPPENED, I'M JUST THROWING THE HYPOTHETICAL SCENARIO IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY PARAMETERS AROUND OPERATIONAL BUDGET.
BUT I CAN SEE WHERE I THINK SOME REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS OR ADJUSTMENTS CAN BE OR SHOULD BE MADE TO THAT.
EVEN IF YOU ARE USING THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET, MAYBE USE A HIGHER PERCENTAGE OR SOMETHING.
I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
BUT I THINK BACK TO THIS EFFORT, TO ME, YOU KNOW, IT LOOKS LIKE WHAT WAS, UM, ASPIRED FOR, YOU KNOW, ON A LATER DATE, KIND OF AS THE TIMELINE HAS BEEN MOVED BACK, UH, TO THIS YEAR, UH, WITH SOME SHIFT IN, IN, IN THE DATE WHEN THE APPLICATION WILL BE ROLLED OUT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS IN A, YOU KNOW, PRETTY TIGHT TIMELINE.
UM, I ALSO HAD SOME CONCERNS, AGAIN, AROUND THE WORKING GROUP TOO, ESPECIALLY WITH THE REALLY STRINGENT PARAMETERS.
BUT WHAT, UM, MAKES, KIND OF HELPS ME SEE THE LIGHT IS THAT I THINK THE EFFORT, THE PRINCIPLE OF THIS EFFORT, AND THAT IS BROADER COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, PROVIDING FIVE OR TWO DIFFERENT CHANNELS OF ENGAGEMENT, UH, WHERE COMMUNITY CAN PROVIDE FEEDBACK, WHETHER, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO CAN DO THE SURVEY THROUGH THAT, UH, FOLKS WHO CAN DO FOCUS GROUPS, UH, UH, INDIVIDUALS THAT, OR, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS THAT MIGHT BE AVAILABLE FOR DOING ONE-ON-ONES.
THEN THERE IS THIS WORKING GROUP.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT PILLARS THAT ARE BEING, UH, OR, OR CHANNELS THAT ARE BEING, UH, ENABLED TO GET COMMUNITY FEEDBACK.
SO FROM PURELY FROM A PRINCIPAL PERSPECTIVE, GETTING BROADER ENGAGEMENT THROUGH MULTIPLE CHANNELS SEEMS, UM, SEEMS POSITIVE, VERY POSITIVE TO ME.
AND ALSO THE FACT THAT THIS IS NOT STARTING FROM SCRATCH.
WE ARE NOT TRYING TO REINVENT THE VEIL.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS, WHETHER IT'S ON THE MUSIC COMMISSION OR HERE, UM, ARE GOING TO BE TAKEN VERY STRONGLY INTO THE CONS INTO CONSIDERATION.
AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, RIGHTFULLY SO AT SOME LEVEL, BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE, WE ARE REPRESENTING SPECIFIC DISTRICTS, UH, AND, AND CONSTITUENTS, UH, HERE AND, AND THINKING ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY HAVE, HAVE INVESTED THE TIME.
SO TO JUST GIVE IT DUE WEIGHTAGE WHILE REALLY TAKING FEEDBACK FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT CHANNELS AND SEE IF ANYTHING KIND OF REALLY CHALLENGES WHAT'S, WHAT, WHAT IS IN THE RECOMMENDATION IF, IF, IF, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING REALLY STANDS OUT THAT NOBODY IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS WHILE, YOU KNOW, GIVING THESE RECOMMENDATIONS HAVE THOUGHT OF, RIGHT? SO, SO I THINK IN PRINCIPLE, I'M, I'M REALLY POSITIVE ABOUT THIS EFFORT TO JUST GET BROAD BASED COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHILE NOT THROWING AWAY WORK THAT INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS HAVE.
I MEAN, DONE FOR, AND, AND STAFF, UM, HAVE DONE FOR, I MEAN, REALLY PROLONGED TIMES.
I MEAN, SOME OF US, AND SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE BEEN, I MEAN, IN THESE CONVERSATIONS FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
SO, SO I, I, I, OVERALL, SO I THINK THE MORE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, THE BETTER BUY-IN INTO, UH, IT'S INTO THE, INTO THE APPLICATION AND THE RUBRIC THAT'S ESTABLISHED.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S HOPEFULLY WILL BE ALSO MORE OWNERSHIP OF THE OUTCOMES.
UM, IT'S NOT GONNA BE PERFECT.
IT'S NOT GONNA BE PERFECT THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, BUT IF THERE IS MORE OWNERSHIP OF THE OUTCOMES AS WELL, THEN BASED ON DATA AND WHAT'S WORKING AND WHAT'S, WHAT'S NOT WORKING FOR THE COMMUNITY, WE COULD, WE COULD ITERATIVELY THEN IMPROVE, UH, IMPROVE, UH, THE RUBRIC.
SO, UM, I JUST, JUST WANTED TO SHARE THOSE THOUGHTS.
AND, UM, OVERALL, UM, I, I THINK, YEAH, I DO FEEL THE WORKING GROUP, UH, GUIDELINES ARE VERY STRINGENT, UM, TO WHERE EVEN BOARD MEMBERS, UH, THAT ARE NOT PAID ON DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
IF THEY PARTICIPATE, THEN THE ORGANIZATION CANNOT APPLY.
UH, IT IS SOMETHING THAT LOOKS LIKE IS COMING FROM LEGAL, AND IF IT HAS TO CHANGE, PROBABLY, UH, THAT CONVERSATION
[02:25:01]
NEEDS TO BE HAD FURTHER.BUT OVERALL, UM, CONCERNED ABOUT THE TIGHT TIMELINE, BUT THE IN PRINCIPLE, I, I REALLY AM, UH, UH, I FEEL VERY POSITIVE ABOUT, UH, THE FACT THAT THIS BROAD BASED EFFORT IS BEING MADE.
I JUST WANNA, UH, I DON'T KNOW THE RULES EVEN THOUGH I SHOULD, BUT I JUST WANT TO, UH, SAY SOMETHING TO COMMISSIONER NAALI, WHICH IS LIKE, YES, THEORETICALLY HAVING MORE INPUT FROM OTHER PEOPLE IS TYPICALLY GOOD.
I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE IN THAT ROOM.
HAVING MORE VOICES IN THE ROOM IS GOOD.
I THINK THE REALITY OF THE SITUATION IS DIFFERENT AND BEING REALISTIC OF THE SCOPE OF HAVING A BUNCH OF FEEDBACK HAPPEN IN A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME IS NOT SETTING THIS NEW DEPARTMENT UP FOR SUCCESS.
AND IT'S ALSO PUTTING, AND I'M JUST GONNA CALL A SPADE A SPADE.
IT'S PUTTING A BAD TASTE IN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S MOUTHS WHEN WE HAVE A REAL OPPORTUNITY TO START OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOT, AND IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE STARTING OFF IN A FIRE.
AND I, I CAN SEE IT FROM BOTH SPECTRUMS. I CAN SEE IT FROM THE OUTSIDE AND I CAN SEE IT FROM THE INSIDE.
UM, I THINK THAT PEOPLE'S INTENTIONS ARE, ARE WELL, BUT ALSO IN PRACTICE, SOMETIMES THINGS DON'T WORK.
AND SO WHAT I WOULD ASK MY FINAL ASK IS, IF WE'RE NOT WORKING FROM SCRATCH, THEN TELL US WHERE YOU'RE WORKING FROM SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE YOU'RE WORKING FROM.
BECAUSE SAYING THAT YOU'RE WORKING FROM, UH, THE FRAMEWORK IS ONE THING, BUT ACTUALLY SEEING IT, IF WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD TRUST, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT BOTH AS A COMMISSIONER, AS A ARTIST, AS A NONPROFIT HEAD.
I WANT TO SEE IT BECAUSE WITHOUT THAT, IT'S JUST WORDS TO ME, IT'S JUST WORD SALAD.
ALL OF THIS IS JUST WORD SALAD.
AND I'M SORRY IF THAT SEEMS DISRESPECTFUL.
I'M A VERY BLUNT PERSON, AND, UH, YEAH, EVERYBODY'S JUST GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT.
I KNOW THAT WASN'T A QUESTION, BUT JUST TO OFFER ONE FINAL THING, UM, I DID MENTION WE HOPE TO HAVE A DASHBOARD PUBLISHED TOMORROW THAT WILL TRACK ALL OF THE INPUTS, INCLUDING HISTORICAL FEEDBACK AS WELL AS THE ONGOING, UM, RESPONSES THAT WE GET FROM SURVEYS AND THESE OTHER PIECES IN AN EFFORT TO KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED, UM, AND TO GIVE REGULAR UPDATES ON THAT AT COMMISSIONS AS WELL.
ANYONE ELSE? COMMISSIONER, MAYOR CHARLOTTE.
UM, JUST JUST A QUICK POINT THAT I, I I, I, I FEEL THAT THE COMMISSIONS PROVIDED RECOMMENDATIONS AS, UM, AS EARLY AS FEBRUARY THIS YEAR.
UM, AND JUST USING THOSE AS BASELINES AND, AND, UH, AND, AND GOING FROM THERE, UH, I THINK WHAT PERSONALLY PROVIDES ME SOME, UM, ASSURANCE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, WE, WE ARE NOT, WE ARE NOT STARTING ANYTHING FROM SCRATCH.
THIS IS A COMPARE AND CONTRAST, UM, SITUATION WITH, WITH USING SOME BASELINE.
AND THEN, WHICH FOR ME, TO ME, USING THE LATEST RECOMMENDATION, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED, SEEMS REASONABLE.
AND THEN, UH, BUILDING OR TWEAKING FROM OFF THAT, UH, AND TAKING FEEDBACK ON THAT AND ADDING, DELETING, WHATEVER WE NEED TO DO, UH, I THINK THAT CAN BE DONE.
UH, THAT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION.
I'M DOING A TIME CHECK FOR EVERYONE.
IT'S EIGHT 30 COMMISSIONER SMBA.
IT'S JUST ONE IS THAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS WEREN'T FINISHED.
'CAUSE WE HAD A PHASE TWO TO MAKE FURTHER RECOMMENDATIONS AND WE DIDN'T GET THROUGH IT BEFORE THIS HAPPENED.
THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF IT, THE END.
NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH THE FORMER MEGAN WELLS, WHO YOU OFTEN HEARD FROM.
I WAS LIKE, I THOUGHT SHE WENT OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
I'M, SHE DID NOT MOVE OUT OF THE COUNTRY.
NO, THAT WAS, THIS IS WHERE RUMORS ARE STARTED.
UM, MEGAN ALIVE IN AUSTIN, AND, WELL, SHE'S JUST NOT HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FEEDBACK TONIGHT.
COMMISSIONER GRAY, CAN I MAKE, UH, A MOTION TO APPROVE? OH, WE HAVEN'T DONE SEVEN YET.
WELL, WE CAN DO IT AHEAD OF TIME THOUGH.
CAN WE MOVE, UH, TO APPROVE AT THE TIME?
NO, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYTHING WE CAN MOVE UP.
SO NEXT WE'RE MOVING TO ITEM NUMBER, NOT UP, NEVERMIND JUST, OKAY.
[7. Staff briefing regarding an update on Art in Public Places by Jaime Castillo, Art in Public Places Manager]
NUMBER SEVEN, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING AN UPDATE ON ART AND PUBLIC PLACES BY JAIME CASTILLO, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES MANAGER.JAIME CASTILLO, THE IPP MANAGER.
UH, WE'RE GONNA GET SOMETHING SIMILAR BUT DIFFERENT, SO I WANT Y'ALL TO TAKE A DEEP BREATH, HAND EXHALE.
UM, SO I'M PROVIDING YOU AN UPDATE REGARDING, UH, THE WORK THAT A IPP IS DOING FOR THE RESOLUTION AS MORGAN,
[02:30:01]
UH, AS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR.MEEK MENTIONED, IT'S PART OF THE CULTURAL FUNDING ASSESSMENT.
UM, A IPP GOT IN FRONT AND GOT A RESOLUTION FROM COUNCIL WHERE WE ARE DOING A PROGRAM ASSESSMENT.
AND I JUST WANTED TO DO A QUICK REMINDER THAT, UM, THE A IPP PANEL HAD FORMED A GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP IN JANUARY AT THEIR, UH, A IPP PANEL RETREAT.
AND THEY HAD PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED A LOT OF ISSUES THAT, UH, ALIGNED WITH THE ITEMS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED IN COUNCIL'S RESOLUTION.
SO I HAVE REASSURED MY TEAM AND I HAVE ASSURED THE A IPP PANEL THAT THE RESOLUTION IS NOT AS SCARY AS IT SEEMS. UM, AND SO I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT, UM, I REMINDED THE IPP PANEL THAT THE GUIDELINES WORKING GROUP EXISTED AND THAT WE NEEDED TO GET STARTED ON, ON THE ISSUES THAT, THAT THEY HAD IDENTIFIED.
AND THEN THE, UH, RESOLUTION CAME OUT THREE DAYS AFTER, SO THAT WE'RE TALKING IN THE MARCH MEETING.
UM, AND THEN IN APRIL, WE WERE ABLE TO SCHEDULE AN A IPP PANEL WORKING GROUP MEETING AT THE END OF APRIL TO START LOOKING AT ALL THE POLICIES THAT A IPP USES.
SO THAT'S THE ORDINANCE GUIDELINES, DEES POLICIES, DONATION, LOAN PO, JUST EVERY DOCUMENT THAT WE USE, AND GO THROUGH THEM AND, AND MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, TO UPDATE THOSE.
THE A IPP PANEL WORKING GROUP MET AGAIN, UM, TWO WEEKS AGO AND PROVIDED ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK REGARDING THE POLICIES AND THE TOPICS OF CONVERSATION.
AND SO WANTED TO MAKE Y'ALL AWARE THAT, UM, STAFF IS WORKING ON CLEANING UP THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS, CREATING RED LINE DOCUMENTS TO PRESENT TO THE FULL PANEL AT THEIR JUNE MEETING.
AND, UH, BECAUSE WE ALSO ANTICIPATE A FULL AGENDA FOR REGULAR BUSINESS AT THE JUNE MEETING, WE ARE PREPARING FOR A SPECIAL CALL MEETING THE FOLLOWING MONDAY.
SO THE REGULAR MEETING IS SCHEDULED FOR JUNE 2ND, WHERE THE PANEL WILL GET UPDATES FROM THE WORKING GROUP, THE WORK THAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED BY THE WORKING GROUP.
AND WE'RE SCHEDULING A SPECIAL CALL MEETING ON JUNE 9TH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ABLE TO ADDRESS ANY REGULAR BUSINESS THAT WE COULDN'T ADDRESS, UM, DURING THE JUNE 9TH, JUNE 2ND MEETING.
UM, AND SO FROM THE JUNE 2ND CONVERSATION, WE ARE DRAFTING A REPORT TO PRESENT TO DIRECTOR MEANS SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE TO REPORT TO COUNCIL AS THE RESOLUTION STATES IN JULY.
AND SO THAT IS MY UPDATE FOR Y'ALL.
WHAT, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON? AYE, UH, I JUST WONDERED IF THERE WAS ANY COMMENT FROM YOU, JAIME, ABOUT, UH, CALDER CAYMAN'S, UH, DISCUSSION TODAY.
IS THIS APPROPRIATE FOR ME TO, TO REQUEST COMMENT ON THAT? BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IT'S AN ISSUE THAT'S NOT BEING ADDRESSED.
UH, I I FAILED TO MENTION THAT.
YEAH, BOTH, BOTH, BOTH OUR SPEAKERS TODAY, UH, SPOKE TO ISSUES THAT, UM, OR CHALLENGES THAT ARE KNOWN FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, THESE WERE THINGS THAT, THAT I, AS A NEW MANAGER 10 MONTHS AGO, CAME IN ALREADY IDENTIFYING, WANTING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE APPROPRIATE PARTNER DEPARTMENTS TO START ALIGNING, ALIGNING EVERYONE, BOTH, BOTH, UH, DEPARTMENTS, PEOPLE, AND OUR POLICIES.
AND SO THAT IT IS PART OF THE CONVERSATION WITH THE A IPP PANEL WORKING GROUP AND PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING, IDENTIFYING WHICH POLICIES CAN HELP US AVOID SITUATIONS THAT WE HEARD FROM TONIGHT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO ADDRESS, UM, I AM ACTUALLY IN CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES AND, UM, I HEARD CALDER'S COMMENT AND, UM, I HAD ALREADY PLANNED TO TAKE THIS UP TO THE TEAM, UM, TO JUST TALK ABOUT WHAT THE PROJECT MANAGEMENT, UM, LOOKS LIKE.
UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, PERSONALLY, I, I'VE HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PROCESS AS WELL, UM, BUT I WASN'T REALLY INVOLVED IN IT ANYMORE WHEN I MOVED DEPARTMENT ON THE ARTIST SIDE, BUT THIS JUST GAVE ME A LOT MORE INSIGHT.
UM, SO JAIME PLAN TO, TO GET WITH YOU AND LET'S SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW WE CAN GAME PLAN AND JUST KIND OF ADDRESS SOME OF THESE THINGS, UM, BECAUSE I DO THINK THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT HAPPEN WHEN OUR PROJECTS GET SHELVED, UM, WITH US KIND OF RUSHING TO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT THREE YEARS BEFORE A PROJECT IS ALREADY APPROVED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND SO JUST REALLY KIND OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT A TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE FOR A PROJECT AND WHEN IT'S APPROPRIATE TO START FOLDING IN A IPP AND ENGAGING THEM.
UM, AND, AND NOT EVEN FOLDING THEM IN,
[02:35:01]
BUT FOLDING IN THE ACTUAL ARTIST THE SELECTION PROCESS AND WHAT ALL OF THAT TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE.I JUST WANT TO ONE, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ANDERSON FOR ALSO MENTIONING AGAIN, BECAUSE YEAH, I DO THINK THIS IS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD DISCUSS AND SHOULD BE ADDRESSED.
YEAH, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU, BUT KNOW THAT, THAT THAT IS GONNA BE PART OF THE REPORT THAT WE PRESENT TO COUNSEL.
ANYTHING ELSE? UH, COMMISSIONER ALOFF SIMILARLY, LIKE IN RESPONSE TO, I KNOW THIS IS, UH, NOW THAT LEGAL IS INVOLVED WITH MARCO'S ISSUE, IS THERE ANYTHING, IS THERE ANY UPDATE THAT Y'ALL CAN SHARE WITH US? AND I'LL JUST REMIND THAT ONE OF THE FRUSTRATIONS THAT I THINK WE ALL SHARE ABOUT FEELING LIKE, ALTHOUGH OUR JOB IS TO ADVISE CITY COUNCIL ON ARTS RELATED MATTERS, WE MADE A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT HOW TO, WE FELT LIKE THE D SESSIONS AND THE REMOVAL AND NOT DESTRUCTION OF THOSE WORK SHOULD BE HANDLED.
THAT JUST GOT BASICALLY IGNORED AT COUNCIL.
AND NOW WE'RE AT THIS, UH, REALLY UNFORTUNATE SITUATION WHERE THERE'S LIKE A LEGAL CHALLENGE WITH ONE OF THE ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND WELL-KNOWN ARTISTS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
ONE IS LIKE, AGAIN, LIKE THAT'S REALLY FRUSTRATING 'CAUSE IT COULD HAVE BEEN AVOIDED.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS PART OF WHAT YOU HAD ALREADY IDENTIFIED AND YOU'RE ALREADY ADDRESSING IT.
I KNOW THAT IT'S BEING ADDRESSED IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT FOR THE IMMEDIATE CASE, LIKE, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT CAN BE SHARED ABOUT THAT OR ANYTHING MORE THAT WE COULD DO TO ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTIST NOT PAYING OUT OF HER RETIREMENT FUND TO REMOVE HER WORK? I, I CANNOT UPDATE YOU WITH ANY ADDITIONAL DETAILS AS THAT CONVERSATION ONCE IT MOVED INTO THE LEGAL REALM.
I NOT PART, WE WERE NOT PART OF THAT CONVERSATION.
ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, JAIME.
[8. Action to Approve the Selection Process Recommendations for the Substandard Streets Art in Public Places Project – Johnny Morris Road and Ross Road Projects ]
TO ITEM NUMBER EIGHT, ACTION TO APPROVE THE SELECTION PROCESS, RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SUBSTANDARD STREETS, ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, PROJECT JOHNNY MORRIS ROAD AND ROSS ROAD.THAT'S GONNA BE BEHIND ME AGAIN, THAT'S ME AGAIN.
I THINK COMMISSIONER GRAY WAS TRYING TO MOVE THIS TO CONSENT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE ITEM EIGHT, UH, AS, UH, TO APPROVE ON CONSENT, NOT MOVE IT, BUT TO APPROVE COMMISSIONER GRAY HAS, HAS MOVED THAT WE APPROVE ITEM EIGHT ON CONSENT.
DO I HAVE A SECOND COMMISSIONER? I SECOND COMMISSIONER MALTO SECOND.
ALL IN FAVOR? ANY OPPOSED? COMMISSIONER KEYS? YOU'RE ABSTAINING.
YOU KNOW, ANY ILLUSION OF CONFLICT OF INTEREST? I'M NOT INTERESTED, SO THANK YOU.
SO WE HAVE UNANIMOUS WITH COMMISSIONER KEYS OF STAINING.
[9. Action to Approve the the Art in Public Places Panel’s process to select two new panel members, including review of applications submitted through June 8, 2025, and forwarding of nominees to the Arts Commission for appointment.]
ITEM NINE, ACTION TO APPROVE THE ART AND PUBLIC PLACES PANEL'S PROCESS TO SELECT TWO NEW PANEL MEMBERS, INCLUDING A REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS SUBMITTED THROUGH JUNE 8TH, 2025, FORWARDED TWO NOMINEES TO THE ARTS COMMISSION FOR APPOINTMENT.I APOLOGIZE FOR THE WARRANT, FOR THE WORDING.
UM, THE ACTION SHOULD BE, UH, NOMINATING AN ARTS COMMISSIONER TO SERVE ON THE INTERVIEW PANEL.
SO HOW MANY ARTS COMMISSIONERS DO YOU NEED? UH, SO JUST ONE.
WELL, TECHNICALLY TWO, UH, WE NEED, TYPICALLY OUR INTERVIEW PANELS FOR A IPP PANEL MEMBERS IS CONSISTS OF THE PANEL CHAIR, THE PANEL LIAISON, WHICH IS COMMISSIONER MALDONADO AND ANOTHER ARTS COMMISSIONER.
SO WE HAVE COMMISSIONER GRAY VOLUNTEERING TO BE THE ARTS COMMISSION APPOINTMENT AS INTERVIEWING APPLICANTS FOR CORRECT.
FOR TWO FOR FOR TWO PANEL MEMBERS.
AS A REMINDER, UH, FORMER PANEL MEMBER JAY MUSAK RESIGNED IN RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT.
AND, AND FORMER CHAIR STEPHANIE LEMOS TERM SIX YEARS.
SO HER, HER TERM ENDS, UH, AFTER, AT THE END OF JUNE.
SO SHE'S ONE MORE MONTH WITH HER AND WE WOULD NEED TO REPLACE TWO PANEL MEMBERS.
SO WE HAVE A SECOND PERSON THAT WE NEED TO NO, NO, YEAH, NO, NO.
IT'S, I CAN DO, WE CAN DO BOTH.
IT'S JUST ONE ARTS COMMISSION.
UM, JAIME, UH, REVIEW OF APPLICATIONS IS ONGOING OR IS IT SOMETHING AS I'M TRAVELING, I SEE THE DEADLINE, SO I'M JUST WONDERING IF IT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR ME TO DO.
WE CAN DO IT VIRTUALLY AS LONG AS YOU'RE ABLE TO GET ONLINE.
UM, I'M, WE DO HAVE A LINK, UH, ON THE A IPP WEBPAGE.
[02:40:01]
I FORGOT TO SHARE THAT OUT.UM, BUT I'LL, I'LL GET WITH JESUS TO GET THAT TO Y'ALL.
BUT WE WE'RE STILL ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS FROM INTERESTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS.
I'D LIKE TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO APPOINT COMMISSIONER GRAY AS THE ARTS COMMISSION, A IPP INTERVIEW PANEL.
DO HAVE A SECOND? COMMISSIONER CHARLO.
ALL IN FAVOR? AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
[10. Discussion & Possible Action on update on NEA Funding Cut Cultural Emergency. ]
10, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON UPDATE ON NEA FUNDING CUT CULTURAL EMERGENCY.AND WE HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT FROM CHRIS DEN THAT WE HEARD EARLIER.
COMMISSIONER MACH, WOULD YOU LIKE TO SPEAK ON THIS? SURE.
SO WE HEARD FROM, UH, CHRIS EARLIER WE HEARD FROM FORKLIFT, WE'VE HEARD FROM A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS, INCLUDING OUR OWN CITY OF AUSTIN, THAT THE GRANTS HAVE BEEN CANCELED.
UM, AND I THINK I WROTE JUST ON THAT MONDAY AFTER THE BLOODY FRIDAY, UM, AS AN ARTS ADVOCATE AND AN ARTS COMMISSIONER AND A FORMER NONPROFIT ARTS DIRECTOR, UH, AN URGENT PLEA FOR EMERGENCY SUPPORT TO OUR, FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY DUE TO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS CANCELLATIONS.
UM, I DID SEND IT TO THE MAYOR AND ALL OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE CITY MANAGER AS WELL AS ACME LEADERSHIP.
I DON'T THINK I NEED TO READ THE WHOLE THING HERE UNLESS YOU WANT ME TO.
UM, BUT IT'S BASICALLY OUTLINING HOW CRUSHING THIS IS TO OUR ALREADY FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM THAT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS FROM ITS RIPPLE EFFECTS.
ACKNOWLEDGING THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED A NUMBER OF MAJOR CHALLENGES IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
ALL WE ALL KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE.
UM, AND POINTING OUT THAT THE NEA GRANTS ARE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AND THAT LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN GRANTED NEA FUNDS REPRESENT SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNITY IMPACT, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
WE NEED THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND CAN'T AFFORD TO LOSE THEM DUE TO THE SHORTSIGHTED AND DIABOLICAL WHIMS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
UM, THIS DOES SEEM, I THINK THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF COMMENTARY ABOUT HOW THIS ISN'T JUST AN ASSAULT ON ARTS, BUT IT'S ON CRITICAL THINKING.
AND AS A COMMUNITY THAT TAKES THOSE THINGS REALLY SERIOUSLY AND PROJECTS TO THE WORLD THAT WE ARE A PROGRESSIVE COMMUNITY.
UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE TAKE A VERY BOLD STAND.
I THINK ZACH OR SOMEBODY ELSE TALKED ABOUT HOW THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA RIPPLE EFFECT.
WE DON'T LIVE IN A FRIENDLY STATE FOR, UH, THIS, THIS TYPE OF, UM, RESPONSE.
UM, AND I'M JUST BEGGING, I KNOW THAT THERE ARE CONFLICTING PRIORITIES, BUT I'M KIND OF GETTING SICK OF HEARING THAT LIKE WE'RE ALWAYS LAST.
THE ARTS COMMUNITY IS ALWAYS LAST IN, IN THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN, UM, INVEST.
UM, I THINK IT GOES TO, THIS IS SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE NEA FUNDS, BUT IT'S PART OF A BROADER PICTURE THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL NIGHT LONG.
WE CAN'T AFFORD TO MISS A GRANT FUNDING, UH, CYCLE FROM CITY FUNDING.
AND WE REALLY, REALLY NEED FOR CITY LEADERSHIP TO STEP UP AND DO SOMETHING FOR THIS EMERGENCY AND, AND MAKE A REALLY LOUD STATEMENT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO ALLOW FOR OUR, HONESTLY, BOTH ARTS AND HUMANITIES TO BE ATTACKED IN THIS WAY.
SO I THINK THE ASK IS TO MAKE THAT A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO WRITE IT AND SEND IT OUT, UH, AFTER THIS.
I, I MEAN WE, I, WE SHARED IT ALREADY.
NEVERMIND, YOU GUYS ALREADY SAW IT.
UM, WE FORWARDED THE WHOLE THING.
I CAN TAKE OUT THE DIABOLICAL WHIMS PART
'CAUSE I DIDN'T READ IT VERBATIM.
BUT, UM, THE POINT STANDS THAT WE NEED BOLD ACTION FROM CITY LEADERSHIP TO SUPPORT OUR ARTS COMMUNITY IN THIS UNFOLDING POLY CRISIS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY DISCUSSIONS, COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER GRAY OR HOLD THAT THOUGHT? I WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO, UH, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHMUCK'S NEWS.
THAT INFORMATION DID GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE MAYOR AND, UM, UH, THE MANAGER AND NOBODY HAS REPLIED.
AND IT'S BEEN MANY, MANY DATES.
I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THE NEA BEING SOUL CRUSHING WITH WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT IT IS, RIGHT?
[02:45:01]
UM, ANOTHER FACTOR FOR EVERYBODY THAT'S WATCHING, INCLUDING CITY COUNCIL AND CITY LEADERSHIP TO REALIZE IS ITS NEA YES WAS DETRIMENTAL AND IT'S GONNA HAVE LONG LASTING EFFECTS, BUT THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR HUMANITIES ALSO WAS CUT.AND HUMANITIES AND ARTS INTERSECT.
UM, WE OBVIOUSLY ALL KNOW THAT AND THIS ROOM.
AND SO OUR, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY IS TEXAS HUMANITIES.
UM, LUCKILY, UH, THEY DO HAVE SOME FUNDS TO KEEP GOING, BUT I JUST WANT EVERYONE IN THE ROOM AND SPECIFICALLY CITY COUNCIL TO BE COGNIZANT THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS, IT'S THE NATIONAL, UM, HUMAN ENDOWMENT FOR HUMANITIES.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
UM, LITERARY ORGANIZATIONS CAN APPLY FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE NEH OR THE TEXAS COMMISSION, UH, TEXAS HUMANITIES, SORRY.
UM, AND ALSO FILM ORGANIZATIONS AS WELL.
YOU CAN BRING IN SCHOLARS TO SPEAK ABOUT THE HUMANITIES AND HOW IT INTERSECTS WITH ARTS AND FILM AND, YOU KNOW, THE HUMAN EXPERIENCE.
SO THESE THINGS DO GO IN TANDEM.
SO I THINK THE MORE THE PUBLIC OR CITY COUNCIL OR CITY ARTS LEADERS UNDERSTAND HOW THESE THINGS INTERSECT, AND THE FACT THAT THEY ARE INTERSECTING AND DISAPPEARING SIMULTANEOUSLY IS SOUL CRUSHING.
AND SO THAT COUPLED WITH THE GRANT BEING, UH, DELAYED IS GOING TO HAVE DEVASTATING EFFECTS.
SO NOT ONLY, UH, WITH THE NEA, UH, PLEA NOT BEING HAVE, HAVE ANY RESPONSE FROM CITY COUNCIL IS VERY DISAPPOINTING TO SAY.
UM, BUT NUMBER TWO, IT'S LIKE A TWOFOLD THING.
IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY HAPPENING, AND TO GET NO RESPONSE IS, IS KIND OF INSULTING BECAUSE WE TOTE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AS LIKE THE LIVE MUSIC CAPITAL OF THE WORLD, OR THE PLACE THAT HAS ALL THE ARTISTS, RIGHT? WELL, WHAT IF WE'RE ALL GONE? YOU KNOW, WHAT IF WE CEASE TO DO PROGRAMMING? LIKE WHAT ARE WE GONNA BASE OUR TOURISM ON? YES, IT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
BUT I GUESS, I GUESS THAT'S LIKE THE JOKE.
LIKE, DO WE WANNA BE THE JOKE? THAT IS MY QUESTION FOR CITY COUNCIL.
DO WE WANNA BE THE JOKE OR DO WE WANNA BE THE HEROES? LIKE LET'S GET UP AND FREAKING SAY SOMETHING.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA ADD THAT THE, THE MELLON FOUNDATION AND ANOTHER FOUNDATION ANNOUNCED LIKE SOME SUPPORT FOR STATE HUMANITIES COUNCILS, WHICH IS WONDERFUL.
IT'S BASICALLY JUST TO KEEP THESE THINGS OPEN.
AND I THINK, LIKE I UNDERSTAND, I GUESS I DON'T UNDERSTAND, BUT I'LL ACCEPT MAYBE IF WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AS A CITY TO DO AN EMERGENCY FUND.
ALTHOUGH I THINK WE COULD MAKE IT HAPPEN.
BUT WE NEED LEADERSHIP TO GET ON THE PHONE WITH THE LOCAL FOUNDATIONS AND SAY, THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, AND LEVERAGE THEIR POWER AND INFLUENCE TO DO SOMETHING.
AND IT'S NOT, IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE EXACTLY WHAT YOU SAID, LIKE WE CAN'T KEEP MAKING THE ENTIRE IDENTITY OF THE CITY ABOUT CULTURE IF WE WILL DO NOTHING, EVEN IN A LIKE, DIRE EMERGENCY.
AND ANOTHER THING THAT I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IS CLEAR IS SOMEONE SAID EARLIER, LIKE, WE HAD ALREADY SPENT SOME OF THE MONEY.
I DON'T, I KNOW WHEN I TALKED TO DIRECTOR MEAN SHE, SHE WAS NOT, IF YOU DON'T KNOW HOW ANY GRANTS WORK, THEY WORK ON 30 DAY OR ON REIMBURSEMENTS OR 30 DAY FORWARDING SO, OR 30 DAY ADVANCEMENTS.
SO IT'S HIGHLY POSSIBLE THAT YOU COULD HAVE HAD NOT ONLY NOT GET YOUR MONEY THAT IS ALREADY IN YOUR BUDGET, BUT YOU COULD HAVE ALREADY SPENT MONEY.
THAT IS NOW NOT BEING REIMBURSED BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T GET YOUR STUFF IN ON TIME BECAUSE THEY CUT IT ALL OUT IN WITH 48 HOURS NOTICE.
SO THAT'S LIKE A HUGE, THAT'S LIKE A REALLY BIG DEAL FOR AN OPERATING BUDGET FOR A NONPROFIT WHO ARE NOT OPERATING WITH SURPLUSES TO COVER 35 OR 45 OR $75,000 WORTH OF CUTS.
DO WE HAVE A LIST OF THE AUSTIN CULTURAL ARTS? YOU SAID YOU HAD, YOU HAD TAUGHT, YOU HAD HEARD FROM SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFECTED.
WE HAVE THE, UM, A LIST OF SOME WHO HAVE, UH, RESPONDED BACK TO CONFIRM WHETHER, UH, THEIR AWARDS WERE RESCINDED OR NOT.
BUT NOT EVERYBODY HAS RESPONDED BACK.
BUT WE WERE AGAIN, WORKING OFF OF THE, UH, LIST THAT COMMISSIONER SCH MALACH HAD, UM, COMPILED.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY AT COMMISSIONER ALBA'S REQUEST, I DID REACH OUT TO A FEW, UH, THEATER ORGANIZATIONS AND I THINK IT'S JUST AN IMPORTANT NOTE TO MAKE THAT BEFORE WE SPEAK ON BEHALF OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS, WE NEED TO GET THEIR PERMISSION TO DO THAT.
SO IF, IF WE'RE GONNA INCLUDE A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO WERE AFFECTED AND THEN MAKE DEMANDS ON THEIR BEHALF, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY WANT YOU TO DO THAT.
UM, BECAUSE THERE WAS SOME HESITATION TO EVEN COME SPEAK TO THE COUNCIL TONIGHT FROM THE PEOPLE THAT
[02:50:01]
I SPOKE WITH.UM, I KNOW YOUR INTENTIONS ARE GREAT AND I DON'T MEAN TO PUT COLD WATER ON, ON A FIRE.
UM, AND I KNOW YOU'RE ON FIRE, WHICH IS GREAT.
AND, UM, THERE ARE, THERE ARE PEOPLE IN THESE ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE TRYING TO DO STRATEGIC, UM, RESPONSES TO THIS.
AND SO WE JUST NEED TO BE SENSITIVE THAT WE'RE NOT SPEAKING FOR A GROUP OF ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT THEIR BUY-IN.
AND I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD NEED TO BE FORCED TO ACCEPT AN EMERGENCY FUND IF IT WERE OFFERED TO THEM.
BUT THERE ARE ALSO A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS WHO ARE FEELING LIKE, IF YOU LOOK AT A LIST WHICH IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE ON THE NE'S WEBSITE OF GRANTEES AS A PLACE TO START UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE IMPACT IS, I TOTALLY HEAR THAT INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATIONS MAY HAVE REASONS WHY THEY DON'T WANNA BE INCLUDED, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE ECOSYSTEM AND A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IMPACTED, INCLUDING ARTISTS WHO WILL BE PAID FROM ORGANIZATIONS, WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID FROM ORGANIZATIONS WHO DON'T HAVE ANY VOICE IN THIS CONVERSATION.
I I ABSOLUTELY UNDERSTAND YOUR INTENT.
I JUST WANNA SAY WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL BEFORE WE SPEAK ON BEHALF OF SOMEONE ELSE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY, UH, SUGGESTIONS ABOUT WORDING THAT SHOULD BE AVOIDED? OR, OR HOW, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE GOING TO TRY, TRY TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT.
I JUST THINK WE CAN'T SAY ON BEHALF OF WE ARE REQUESTING THIS.
I THINK WE CAN SAY, THESE ARE THE LIST OF AFFECTED, OR THESE ARE THE LIST OF PEOPLE WHO RECEIVE THE LETTER.
YOU COULD SAY THAT 'CAUSE THAT'S A FACT, BUT I JUST DON'T, I JUST, I JUST WANNA PROVIDE THAT FEEDBACK THAT I GOT FROM, UH, PEOPLE THAT I SPOKE WITH, WHICH IS TO, UM, DON'T PUT WORDS WORDS IN THEIR MOUTH.
I DON'T THINK A RESOLUTION WOULD READ THAT WAY.
BUT WE CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE PUBLIC.
I MEAN, SORRY, I, COMMISSIONER CINI.
THAT'S LITERALLY WHAT I WAS GONNA SAY.
IT IS LIKE THERE'S NOT GONNA BE A LIST OF WHERE WE'RE NAMING EVERY SINGLE ORGANIZATION.
A RESOLUTION OR A RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE BROAD.
AND SO IT WOULD SAY, IN LIGHT OF THESE EVENTS HAPPENING, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE REQUESTING.
YOU'RE NOT NAMING SPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS SO WELL, YOU COULD NAME THEM BUT NOT SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEM.
YOU CAN JUST GO TO NE'S WEBSITE AND TYPE IN AUSTIN, TEXAS AND SEE ALL OF THE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE, THAT RECEIVED FUNDING.
IT'S FEDERAL FUNDING, IT'S PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE.
SO, SO IT CURRENTLY DOESN'T SAY ON BEHALF OF IT SAYS, I AM WRITING AS AN INDIVIDUAL.
SO OBVIOUSLY WE'LL CHANGE THAT IF IT'S COMING FROM ALL OF US.
SO WHAT, JUST WANNA BE SURE THAT WE GET THE WORDING RIGHT, IS HOW THE ARTS COMMISSION IS ASKING FOR IS, IS THE PLAN FOR US TO ADMINISTER THOSE FUNDS IF GRANTED, NO, WE'RE JUST DOING OUR JOB AS A, IN MY OPINION, DOING OUR JOB AS ADVOCATES TO RECOGNIZE A BIG PROBLEM AND ASK FOR SOME SUPPORT FROM THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE BUDGET TO PERHAPS COME UP WITH EMERGENCY FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN, TO FILL IN THE GAPS OF SOME OF THE CUTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE IN ADDITION TO ALL THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT ALL NIGHT.
SO YOU'RE SUGGESTING AN APPLICATION PROCESS FROM THE GROUPS THAT WANT TO APPLY? NO, NO, I DON'T.
UM, WE ARE, THIS DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO OTHER THAN IF WE CHOOSE TO DO SO AS AN ARTS COMMISSION.
WE ARE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO HELP REMEDY THIS FINANCIAL HIT FROM THE NEA LOSSES.
SO IT'S NOT ON BEHALF OF THE ARTISTS, THEIR VOICE.
IT IS THE ARTS COMMISSION SPEAKING TO THE DAMAGE OF THE NA CUTS TO THIS COMMUNITY.
AND I THINK SPEAKING BROADLY ABOUT THAT IS PERFECTLY FINE AND APPROPRIATE.
BUT IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR A SPECIFIC POT OF MONEY FOR A SPECIFIC GROUP OF PEOPLE, ALL I WOULD ASK IS THAT YOU, THAT YOU GET THEIR BUY-IN FIRST.
SO WHAT WAS THERE, AND IT, I DON'T HAVE THE EMAIL IN FRONT OF ME.
IS THERE A SPECIFIC ACTION IN THE EMAIL OTHER THAN FIND EMERGENCY FUNDING? MM, MAYBE THIS IS TOO COMPLICATED RIGHT NOW.
UM, THAT ASKED, I HAVE THE, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT.
MY, THIS IS JUST MY TEMPLATED EMAIL THAT I SENT AS AN INDIVIDUAL AND I WAS SHARING IT AS A POINT OF DEPARTURE FOR A DISCUSSION ABOUT DO WE WANT TO ASK OUR CITY LEADERSHIP FOR SOME SORT OF RELIEF FOR ORGANIZATIONS THAT NOW HAVE A BIG HOLE IN THEIR, WHO MAY NOW HAVE A BIG HOLE IN THEIR BUDGET? SOME OF THEM MAY NOT, BUT SOME OF THEM DO.
'CAUSE I'VE SPOKEN WITH THEM OR ANYTHING
[02:55:01]
ELSE THAT WE MIGHT WANNA ADD TO THAT.I MEAN, I WOULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD ADD THE RECOMMENDATION TO LEVERAGE THEIR SIGNIFICANT INFLUENCE ON SOMEBODY ELSE THAT HAS MONEY.
I'M HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING.
THAT WAS PROBABLY MY FAULT FOR NOT SPEAKING DIRECTLY INTO THE MICROPHONE.
SO IN ORDER FOR US TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO KNOW WHAT THE MAKE RECOMMENDATION IS.
SO DO WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT LANGUAGE? UH, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD? I MEAN, IF, IF YOU WANT SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT IS ALREADY OUTLINED, I THINK EVEN JUST LIKE PUBLICLY ACKNOWLEDGING THAT IT HAPPENED WOULD, I MEAN, I KNOW THAT DOESN'T EQUAL DOLLARS, BUT EVEN JUST HAVING AN INITIAL RESPONSE AND CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
DO WE HAVE TO HAVE A RESOLUTION TO LIKE TALK TO THEM? IT'S JUST A RECOMMENDATION.
JUST A RECOMMENDATION THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING THIS IS AN EMERGENCY AND IT'S NOT JUST ME INDIVIDUAL ARTS COMMISSIONER SAYING IT'S AN EMERGENCY.
IT'S A WHOLE BODY THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE ADVISING THE CITY COUNCIL ON ARTS RELATED MATTERS.
PLEASE CONSIDER DOING SOMETHING.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN A MOTION.
I'LL SECOND THE MOTION TO HAVE A COMMISSIONER GARZA.
I TO MAKE A MOTION TO FOLLOW UP ON.
SO I'M GONNA NEED A STATEMENT OF THE MOTION.
HOW DO WE DO THIS? UH, JUST MAKE A MOTION TO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER SMALL BOX RECOMMENDATION AS WRITTEN.
SO WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT COMMISSIONER SMALL BOX EMAIL TO THE COUNCIL.
ASKING FOR, UH, SOMETHING TO DO, ASKING FOR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF THE EMERGENCY SITUATION WITH THE ANY IMPACT.
AND PLEASE TRY TO FIND THAT MONEY TO MAKE SURE THAT MONEY GETS PAID AT OUR ARTIST AND TO PLEASE FIND THE MONEY FOR US.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND IT BY SENATOR COMMISSIONER KINI.
ALL IN FAVOR? COMMISSIONER ANDERSON, ARE YOU ABSTAINING? YES.
I, I WILL ABSTAIN JUST FOR THE LACK OF SPECIFICITY.
ACTUALLY I NEED TO ABSTAIN A CONFLICT OF INTEREST.
WE HAVE COMMISSIONER, UH, ANDERSON ABSTAINING AND COMMISSIONER GRAY OF STING.
COMMISSIONER MALDONADO, DID YOU VOTE? AYE WE MAY.
SO WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A ROLL CALL REAL QUICK 'CAUSE I'M NOT SURE ON THE COUNT.
I KNOW THAT I HAVE COMMISSIONER ANDERSON ABSTAINING AND COMMISSIONER GRAY ABSTAINING.
COMMISSIONER NEY IS ABSTAINING.
SO I'M GONNA TAKE ROLL CALL FOR THE MOTION TO FORWARD COMMISSIONER SCH SMALL BOX EMAIL REGARDING THE NEA CUTS REQUESTING EMERGENCY FUNDING IF POSSIBLE, FOR THE COUNCIL TO LOCATE COMMISSIONER KEYS TO GET MORE SPECIFICITY FOR THE STATE.
SO DID YOU NOT RECEIVE THE EMAIL? SO WE'RE WE'RE JUST YEAH, WE'RE JUST ELEVATING THE EMAIL.
I UNDERSTAND, BUT I MEAN, I'M NOT LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW.
AND SO IF I'M BEING HELD TO, UM, YOU KNOW, MY VOTE, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE THAT I'M JUST MORE COMFORTABLE AND WE DIDN'T REALLY GO INTO DEPTH ABOUT IT THIS TIME.
LIKE, I MEAN, NOT THE FULL EMAIL.
COMMISSIONER, MAYOR CHARLA, UM, CHAIR IS THERE, IS THERE, UM, IS THERE ANY PROBLEM IN JUST READING THE MOTION AGAIN IN ITS ENTIRETY? SO YOU WANNA WORD IT, YOU READ IT OUT LOUD? YEAH.
YEAH, BECAUSE WE ARE, WE ARE INCLUDING LANGUAGE, LIKE WE ARE GOING TO FORWARD THE EMAIL AND VOTE ON THAT.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK IT'S, IF YOU ARE VOTING ON IT, WE, WE MIGHT AS WELL ACTUALLY REITERATE DO IT AGAIN.
IT WAS, IT WAS SENT AROUND THAT'S JUST, IT WAS INCLUDED.
WHEN WE TAKE A VOTE, I THINK IT'S FINE.
TO READ CLEARLY WHAT'S BEING VOTED ON AT THE COMMISSION, IT WOULD HAVE A DIFFERENT ENTRY SINCE I AM WRITING AS AN INDIVIDUAL ARTS ADVOCATE, CURRENT ARTS COMMISSIONER AND FORMER ARTS NONPROFIT DIRECTOR WITH AN URGENT PLEA FOR EMERGENCY SUPPORT FOR OUR ARTS COMMUNITY.
DUE TO RECENTLY ANNOUNCED NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS GRANT CANCELLATIONS, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW, PART OF THE SLASH AND BURN APPROACH TO FEDERAL FUNDING INSTIGATED BY THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION INCLUDES NEAR TOTAL CUTS FOR THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES, AND MORE RECENTLY, THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.
[03:00:01]
THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS, OUR ORGANIZATIONS HAVE RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF TERMINATION OF EXISTING GRANTS, SOME OF WHICH HAVE ALREADY INCURRED UNREIMBURSED EXPENSES.THIS IS ABSOLUTELY CRUSHING TO OUR ALREADY FRAGILE ECOSYSTEM AND HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR FURTHER NEGATIVE ECONOMIC IMPACTS FROM ITS RIPPLE EFFECTS.
OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, OUR COMMUNITY HAS EXPERIENCED AT LEAST A TRIFECTA OF MAJOR CHALLENGES, PLATEAUING HOT REVENUES, COMBINED WITH INCREASED COST OF OPERATIONS IN AUSTIN, REVAMPING OF THE CAD FUNDING PROGRAMS THAT RESULTED IN SOME LONGSTANDING ORGS NOT RECEIVING CITY FUNDING, AND OF COURSE, COVID TO 19 CLOSURES FROM WHICH MANY OF OUR LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS AND ARTISTS ARE STILL RECOVERING THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS.
GRANTS PROGRAMS ARE HIGHLY COMPETITIVE LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS WHO HAVE BEEN GRANTED NEA FUNDS REPRESENT SOME OF THE HIGHEST LEVELS OF ARTISTIC EXCELLENCE AND COMMUNITY IMPACT, NOT JUST LOCALLY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
QUITE FRANKLY, WE NEED THESE ORGANIZATIONS AND CANNOT AFFORD TO LOSE THEM DUE TO THE SHORTSIGHTED AND DIABOLICAL WHIMS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, WHICH I WILL CUT OUT.
THIS IS AN INTENTIONAL EFFORT TO UNDERMINE THE RICHNESS OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION AND DIVERSE CULTURAL HERITAGE OF OUR COMMUNITIES, NOT TO MENTION AN ATTACK ON CRITICAL THINKING AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, AND WE NEED TO STAND, STAND FIRMLY AGAINST THIS ASSAULT.
YOU CAN SEE A LIST OF POTENTIALLY IMPACTED ORGANIZATIONS IN THE ATTACHED PDF.
THIS WAS BASED ON AN AUSTIN AREA SEARCH FOR 2024 AND 2025 GRANTS.
IT IS LIKELY THAT SOME OF THESE FUNDS HAVE ALREADY BEEN DRAWN DOWN, SO THE TOTAL NUMBER IS PERHAPS IN THE $1 MILLION RANGE.
WE KNOW THAT THERE ARE OTHER CRITICAL NEEDS AND COMPETING PRIORITIES IN A DIFFICULT BUDGET ATMOSPHERE, BUT WE HAVE ONLY A SHORT TIME TO ACT ON BEHALF OF OUR ARTS COMMUNITY BEFORE THE DAMAGE BECOMES PERMANENT AND IRREVERSIBLE.
SO CHAIR, I THINK IF WE ARE VOTING ON THIS, WE ARE VOTING ON IT VERBATIM, RIGHT? UH, SO, UM, IS THAT, IS THAT THE INTENT OR IS, IS IT, IS THE INTENT TO TAKE, I BELIEVE I, I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER IT WAS THE WRITE, WRITE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE COMMISSION, UH, USING, USING A LOT OF THAT INFORMATION, BUT KIND OF REALLY CREATING A RECOMMENDATION, UH, AT THE COMMISSION AND VOTING ON THAT.
UM, I'M JUST ASKING THE QUESTION.
I'M, I'M NOT CHALLENGING ANYTHING HERE.
I BELIEVE THAT COMMISSIONER MVA SAID THAT SHE WAS GONNA CHANGE THE OPENING SO THAT IT'S FROM THE ENTIRE ARTS COMMISSION, AND SHE'S GONNA TAKE OUT THE SHORTSIGHTED AND DIABOLICAL WINDS OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION, BUT THAT, THAT WE WOULD FORWARD IF YOU MAKE THE REST OF THE EMAIL AS A RECOMMENDATION.
UM, MY, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THAT A RECOMMENDATION CAN BE MORE CLEAR CUT, UM, KIND OF CONCISE AND JUST VERY, UM, UH, VERY TO THE POINT ON WHAT, UH, THE CONCERN IS AND WHAT THE ASK IS.
AND THE REST OF IT CAN GO UNDER POSSIBLY THE JUSTIFICATION SECTION WHEN THE RECOMMENDATION IS PRESENTED, ALL OF WHICH DOES NEED TO BE REVIEWED AT THE COMMISSION WHEN WE ARE VOTING ON SOMETHING.
BUT, UH, I THINK THAT'S HOW I WOULD, UH, FRAME IT.
SO THE EMO THE, THE, THE EMOTION ON THE TABLE FAILS FOR LACK OF PEOPLE WILLING TO PARTICIPATE IN.
WE DIDN'T HAVE A QUORUM FOR VOTING.
SO AT THIS POINT WE EITHER NEED ANOTHER MOTION OR CAN, CAN I JUST ASK A CLARIFICATION THOUGH? BECAUSE WE'VE DONE THINGS WHERE WE'RE SAYING WE WANNA MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR SOMETHING THAT'S IMMEDIATE, AND WE TALK ABOUT WHAT GOES INTO THE RECOMMENDATION, AND THERE IS NOTHING WRITTEN OUT WHEN WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE SAYING THAT WE AGREE TO IT.
SO I HEAR THAT'S FINE IF IT GETS VOTED DOWN, I AM SURPRISED THAT IT'S CONTROVERSIAL AT ALL TO ASK FOR SUPPORT FOR OUR COMMUNITY THAT'S JUST HAD THEIR GRANTS CUT.
I'M JUST UNCLEAR ON WHETHER OR NOT LIKE THE VERBATIM THING IS ACCURATE, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'VE MADE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS WHERE WE ALL SAY IT NEEDS TO INCLUDE BULLET POINT, BULLET POINT, BULLET POINT, BULLET POINT, AND SOMEONE WALKS AWAY AND WRITES IT.
SO YES, I KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAR HAVE HER HAND RAISED, BUT, UH, YES, THAT IS, UH, THE CASE IN THE PAST, UH, THE ARTS COMMISSION HAS VOTED ON RECOMMENDATIONS AND MAYBE IT'S, UH, KIND OF BROADER LANGUAGE.
WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IS YOU'VE AGREED TO KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, DRAFT THE LANGUAGE, MAYBE TAKE A LOOK AT IT, AND THEN ONCE YOU'VE ALL HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT IT, THEN GO AHEAD AND SEND IT OFF.
BUT NOT NECESSARILY COME BACK AND VOTE ON THAT FINAL LANGUAGE AT THE NEXT MEETING.
IT'S JUST GIVING THE PARAMETERS ON WHAT THE, UM, WHAT THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE.
MAYBE YOU HAVE A CHANCE TO REVIEW IT AND THEN, UM, IT GETS SENT OUT, UM, AFTER THAT IS DONE.
UM, AND TRYING TO THINK OF THAT, VIOLATES WALKING, UM, QUORUM.
SO IT MAY BE, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD, UH, EMPOWER, UM, UH, CERTAIN
[03:05:01]
PEOPLE TO, UH, LOOK AT IT.SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, ALMOST LIKE A WORKING GROUP, UH, TO MAKE THE RECOMMENDATION.
UM, AND SO THAT WAY IT CAN STILL, UM, UH, BE TIME SENSITIVE, UM, AND YOU CAN HAVE ENOUGH QUORUM.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE ABSTENTIONS, OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO ABSTAIN.
UM, BUT, UH, THAT WOULD BE POTENTIALLY ONE SOLUTION, UM, WHICH IS, UM, UH, SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE AS A BODY IN THE PAST.
UH, I, I HAVE NOT VOTED THIS DOWN.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S NOT MY INTENT TO ACTUALLY RAISE MY HAND EARLIER
I KNOW IT'S 9 0 7, BUT I MEAN, IT'S IMPORTANT.
THEN IT CAN BE DISCUSSED SOME MORE AND, AND, AND, AND IT CAN BE FORMULATED, UH, RIGHT HERE, UH, IF, IF FOLKS ARE WILLING TO GO IN THAT DIRECTION, RIGHT? AND IF FOLKS ARE JUST OTHER, SOME INDIVIDUALS ARE COMMISSIONERS ARE JUST NOT READY TO VOTE ON IT, THEN, UH, IT'S, IT'S WHAT IT IS.
UH, I'M NOT CLOSING IT OUT, UH, RIGHT NOW FROM MY END.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I MEAN, AGAIN, I, I, I LOVE THE INTENT BEHIND THIS, AND I'M NOT, I DON'T MEAN TO, UH, PUT A BLANKET ON IT, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE JUST STATED THAT WHEN WE TAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO COUNSEL, WE'RE NOT TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
AND I THINK PART OF THAT IS WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING SPECIFIC.
WE'RE HAVING AN EMOTIONAL RESPONSE TO SOMETHING.
AND I THINK THE, THAT, THE THING THAT COULD WORK IS TO SAY,
SO I GUESS THAT THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST TO EMPOWER THE ARTS GROUPS TO APPLY OR NOT, FIRST OF ALL, AND TO ASK FOR SOMETHING SPECIFIC.
YEAH, I THINK FOR ME, I'M NOT AGAINST THIS EITHER, BUT I THINK I, I PERSONALLY JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT AN EMERGENCY FUND.
WE'VE NEVER TALKED ABOUT EMERGENCY FUNDS IN REGARDS TO CULTURAL ARTS.
SO DO WE HAVE A CULTURAL ARTS EMERGENCY FUND, OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? I FEEL LIKE AT THE VERY BEGINNING WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, EMERGENCY MONEY, UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THAT SOME OF THAT MONEY GETS PULLED FROM THE HOT DOLLAR.
I THINK FOR ME, I JUST NEED TO UNDERSTAND LIKE, IF WE'RE MAKING THIS ASK, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE MONEY, LIKE IS THERE MONEY THERE FOR EMERGENCY CULTURE, LARGES ARTS? UM, AND ALSO, AND, AND THIS IS JUST ME BEING REALLY TRANSPARENT AND I'M SITTING HERE THINKING LIKE, WE JUST HAD, WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER BEING GONE AND ALL THESE OTHER THINGS.
SO, UM, AND WITH ALL THE CONTROVERSY AND FEEDBACK WE'VE GOTTEN WITH THE MONEY THAT'S ALREADY BEEN ISSUED THROUGH GRANTS, UM, AND I JUST, I REALLY, I WANNA SUPPORT IT, BUT I REALLY WANNA UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BIT MORE WHAT THE ASK IS FROM, UH, FROM COUNCIL COMMISSIONER UNI.
I FEEL, AND I'M GONNA SPEAK EMOTIONALLY BECAUSE I'M A HUMAN, IS I FEEL THAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LETTER IS, IS A CALL TO ACTION TO THE DEVASTATING EFFECTS OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS FUNDING BEING CUT.
AND I PERSONALLY FEEL AS A COMMISSIONER, A VOLUNTEER PERSON ON THIS COMMITTEE, IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY TO ADVOCATE FOR THESE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE REACHING OUT TO US THAT PROBABLY CAN'T PRODUCE THEIR PROGRAMMING OR DON'T HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO CONTINUE, BECAUSE THESE ARE VERY PRESTIGIOUS GRANTS THAT IT'S HIGHLY COMPETITIVE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SOME OF OUR CULTURAL PRODUCERS THAT ARE DOING VERY IMPACTFUL, OFTENTIMES THE DIRTY WORD, DEI WORK IN THE ARTS IN AUSTIN, AND THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO ME AS A HUMAN AND ALSO AS AN ADVOCATE FOR THE ARTS.
I THINK THE SEMANTICS OF THE LETTER, AS JESUS JUST POINTED OUT, CAN BE WORKED OUT.
I THINK WE'RE VOTING ON DO WE WANT TO HAVE AN ACTION WHERE WE'RE DOING A CALL TO ACTION, TO CITY COUNCIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS DEVASTATING THING JUST HAPPENED AND WE NEED HELP IN SOME CAPACITY? YES OR NO? LIKE, IT, IT'S LIKE IT'S PRETTY BLACK AND WHITE TO ME.
UH, IT'S NOT VERY SPECULATIVE.
THE DOLLAR AMOUNT AND ALL OF THESE OTHER MINUTE DETAILS, I THINK CAN BE WORKED THROUGH, THROUGH A DOCUMENT THAT IS SHARED INTERNALLY, OR THERE'S A SMALL WORKING GROUP.
[03:10:01]
RIGHT NOW THERE'S AN URGENCY THAT IS HAPPENING, AND IT IS CONTINUING TO HAPPEN.AND I PERSONALLY WANT TO BE ON THE SIDE OF HISTORY THAT'S BEING PROACTIVE AND PUTTING MY VOICE AND USING MY POSITION OF POWER TO ADVOCATE FOR THOSE.
AND I AM ABSTAINING FROM THIS VOTE BECAUSE MY ORGANIZATION GOT MY GRANT CANCELED, AND I KNOW THAT THERE ARE THREE ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE SITTING IN THIS ROOM RIGHT NOW THAT ALSO GOT THEIR GRANTS CANCELED.
SO IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY TIMELY.
COMMISSIONER GARZA, THERE'S AN OLD SAYING, BASICALLY CLOSE, UH, IF YOU KEEP YOUR MOUTH CLOSED, YOU'RE NEVER GONNA GET FED.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT HERE, IS, UH, WE KEEP OUR MOUTH CLOSED, OUR ARTISTS ARE NOT GONNA GET FED.
UH, DO WE EXPECT THE CITY COUNCIL TO SAY NEXT WEEK, HEY, LET'S CUT SOME FUNDINGS HERE AND GIVE THEM THAT MONEY.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN AS SAY IT'S PROBABLY A 99 POINT HALF PERCENT CHANCE THAT IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
AH, BUT IF WE STAY SHUT, THEN NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW HOW WE REALLY FEEL.
NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW HOW DEVASTATED OUR COMMUNITY OF ARTISTS ARE GONNA BE, BECAUSE WE'VE LOST SO MANY ARTISTS ALREADY, AND WE'RE ABOUT TO LOSE SOME MORE.
AND THE WHOLE THING IS FUNDED BY HOTEL HOT FUNDS, WHICH IS ABOUT TOURISTS COMING IN, AND THE TOURISTS CAN'T COME IN AND THEY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO COME INTO
SO WE'RE SCREWED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
BUT PLEASE LET, LISTEN, LET'S JUST JUST GIVE IT A SHOT.
UH, LIKE I SAID, WILL IT GET FUNDED? PROBABLY NOT, YOU KNOW, BUT WE DO HAVE TO LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, THIS ISN'T RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, UH, THE NEA TOTAL US FUNDING WAS $200 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT THE COST OF TWO, UH, JET FIGHTERS.
AND YOU GOTTA REMEMBER THAT OUR NEW PRESIDENT WANTS 19 NEW JET FIGHTERS, EVEN THOUGH HE IS GETTING 11 ALREADY, EVERY SINGLE YEAR WE GET 11, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE 300 ALREADY IN RESERVE, HE WANTS A NEW 19.
AND SO, YEAH, WE'RE GONNA GET FUN, GET CUT.
UH, USAID IS GONNA GET THEIR FUNDINGS CUT.
UH, NEA IS GETTING THEIR FUNDINGS CUT.
THE AVIATIONS, EVERYBODY'S GETTING THEIR FUNDINGS CUT.
WHY? BECAUSE THIS GUY WANTS MORE AND MORE WEAPONS BECAUSE ARTISTS, OKAY.
PROBABLY DON'T DONATE MUCH MONEY TO PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGNS, BUT I'LL BET YOU ONE THING BOEING SURE DOES.
OKAY, LET'S, AND SO THAT'S WHO'S BEING FUNDED.
SO WHAT WE NEED IS WE NEED MORE SPECIFICITY FOR SOME OF THE, FOR SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
SO I'M THINKING THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT A RECOMMENDATION THAT STATES WHAT THE EMERGENCY IS, STATES AN APPROXIMATE AMOUNT THAT WE THINK IS NEEDED, AND STATES THAT WE'RE ASKING THE COUNSEL TO USE THEIR ACCESS AND PRIVILEGES TO LOCATE THE EMERGENCY FUNDS THAT WILL THEN BE ALLOCATED AS PEOPLE REQUEST.
IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? YES.
COMMISSIONER ANDERSON MALDONADO.
I THINK THAT'S A GOOD, UM, SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR.
YES, I AM ALL FOR A RESOLUTION THAT RAISES AWARENESS AMONG THE CITY COUNCIL.
I'M ALSO ALL FOR A SPECIFIC RESOLUTION THAT SAYS WE WOULD LIKE $850,000 OR A MILLION DOLLARS, OR WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR, IF YOU'LL BE SPECIFIC AND, AND CLARIFY HOW THAT WILL BE DISPERSED.
UM, THAT'S A MORE COMPLICATED NOTION.
I MEAN, THAT, THAT THE ACTUAL DOING OF THAT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, REALISTICALLY, UH, DIFFICULT AND CHALLENGING.
IF THEY SAY YES, BUT THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY YES TO, UH, AN IDEA THAT GENERAL HELP IS NEEDED.
THEY MIGHT SAY YES TO A SPECIFIC ASK, IF YOU'D LIKE TO MAKE A SPECIFIC ASK, I'D BE ALL FOR THAT AS LONG AS THE ARTS GROUPS CAN OPT IN OR OUT IN AN APPLICATION PROCESS.
UH, COMMISSIONER KEYS, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYTHING? COMMISSIONER MELA.
I, I THINK, UM, IF WE CANNOT, YOU KNOW, FIGURE OUT A, A A DOLLAR AMOUNT RIGHT NOW, WHICH I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, RIGHT, RIGHT HERE TODAY, UM, I THINK YOU COULD ALSO ADD IN A RECOMMENDATION TO, UH, FOR COUNCIL TO, UH, DIRECT STAFF TO EXPLORE AND, AND BASICALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT AMOUNT NEEDS TO BE BASED ON THE IMPACT, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT CAN JUST BE PART OF THE RECOMMENDATION TODAY IS, IS, IS FOR COUNCIL TO DIRECT STAFF TO, UH, TO COME UP WITH, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST DETERMINE
[03:15:01]
WHAT WOULD BE, UH, A REASONABLE EMERGENCY FUND TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT FROM THE NEA CUTS.AND WE CAN, MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO TAKE OUT A LOT OF THE POLITICAL LANGUAGE AROUND IT AND JUST STICK TO FACTS, WHAT HAS HAPPENED, WHAT IS THE IMPACT, AND LEAVE IT AT THAT, EVEN IN THE JUSTIFICATION.
AND THE ASK WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU MENTIONED, UH, CHAIR, BUT WITHOUT A DOLLAR AMOUNT, JUST DIRECT, UH, STAFF TO BASICALLY, UH, FROM COUNCIL, UH, NOT US, UH, TO, UH, TO COME UP WITH, TO EXPLORE, BASICALLY DETERMINE WHAT IS A REASONABLE AMOUNT FOR AN EMERGENCY FUND TO ADDRESS THE IMPACT FROM THE NEA CUTS.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER ANDERSON.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY THERE ARE ALSO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS WORKING ON THIS PROBLEM, RIGHT? LIKE TCA IS WORKING ON IT, AND THERE'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, SURVEYS HAVE BEEN GIVEN TO THE ARTS ORGANIZATIONS THAT LOST THEIR FUNDING, AND THERE'S CONVERSATIONS HAPPENING THERE.
SO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT ALONE IN THE DESIRE TO HELP AND SUPPORT, AND I'M ALL FOR WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED, UM, COMMISSIONER, UM, UH, ABOUT, IN TERMS OF REQUESTING THAT IT BE LOOKED AT FURTHER, EITHER BY STAFF OR BY A WORKING GROUP FROM THE ARTS COMMISSION, WHICHEVER YOU PREFER.
I, I, I'M, I'M ALL BEHIND THAT.
I'M ALL BEHIND THAT WE, UH, CALL ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM AND SUGGEST SPECIFIC ACTION.
I JUST DON'T WANNA CALL ATTENTION TO THE PROBLEM AND GO, THIS IS TERRIBLE, SEND MONEY.
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THAT'S REALISTIC.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T GET THE MONEY ANYWAY, BUT IF WE DO, LET'S GIVE THEM A SPECIFIC THOUGHT TREE FOR DOING IT.
SO WE'VE GOT STATEMENT OF THE EMERGENCY, STATEMENT OF A NEED STAFF TO DETERMINE, TO BE DIRECTED, TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT NEED MIGHT BE, THAT THAT WILL BE DISTRIBUTED AS THOSE ORGANIZATIONS APPLY, AND THAT THE COUNCIL USES THEIR ACCESS AND PRIVILEGE TO LOCATE THAT WHATEVER THE FUNDS THAT THE CITY THAT THE STAFF DETERMINES IS NECESSARY.
DOES THAT SOUND LIKE A REASONABLE RECOMMENDATION? I, YEAH, I, SORRY, MAY I CHECK
UM, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THE, THE THIRD ONE'S, I MEAN, NECESSARY, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A GIVEN.
IF, IF WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT THAT THEY, UH, DA DOLLAR AMOUNT, UM, THEN THE NEXT ACTION WOULD BE TO, MAYBE IT CAN JUST BE ADDED TO THE CLIENT.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A COUNCIL THING OR A STAFF THING.
UH, TO DETERMINE WHICH PART OF MONEY DOES SOMETHING COME FROM, DOES IT COME FROM HOT TAXES? DOES IT COME FROM A GENERAL FUND? SO, JUST REAL QUICK, I, I WAS ONLY SAYING THAT STAFF WAS GONNA DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS NEEDED, BUT THAT COUNCIL IS RESPONSIBLE FOR USING THEIR, THEIR MEANS TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT MONEY COMES FROM, BECAUSE THEY HAVE LOTS OF POCKETS OF MONEY, THEY HAVE LOTS OF INFLUENCE WITH PEOPLE THAT HAVE DEEP POCKETS.
SO WE'RE JUST ASKING THEM TO USE THEIR ABILITY TO LOCATE WHERE THE MONEY THAT STAFF SAYS IS NEEDED WILL COME FROM.
COMMISSIONER KEYS, ARE YOU MAKING A MOTION? NO, I JUST WANT TO ADD, ARE WE ADDING A TIMELINE? BECAUSE, I MEAN, I JUST THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HAPPENING THAT ARE VERY IMMEDIATE.
AND IF WE'RE SAYING THAT THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, ARE WE EXPECTING A TURN, LIKE A PROPOSED TURNAROUND TIME OR SOMETHING FOR THIS TO FOLD INTO EVERYTHING ELSE? BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY SAYING THAT PEOPLE, THERE'S A SHORTFALL AND PEOPLE COULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN DIPPING INTO THOSE SPECIFIC FUNDS.
WHAT, WHAT DOES THIS TIMELINE, OR WHAT DOES THIS PRIORITY LOOK LIKE IN THE SCOPE OF EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE ARE DOING WITH ACME AND EVERYTHING ELSE? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? WHAT DOES THESE LIST OF PRIORITIES AND TIME, TIME FRAMES LOOK LIKE? ANY DISCUSSION? COMMISSIONER CHENEY? I'M JUST PERPLEXED.
I'M JUST LIKE TRULY PERPLEXED RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS A LETTER THAT WE WOULD WRITE AS A COMMISSION TO SUPPORT CITY COUNCIL'S ACKNOWLEDGEMENT THAT THIS DEVASTATING THING HAS HAPPENED
[03:20:01]
TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, CULTURAL ARTS DIVISION, OR ACME, WHATEVER YOU WANNA CALL IT, HAS LOST FUNDING.DOZENS OF ARTS ORGANIZATIONS IN AUSTIN, PROBABLY EVERY SINGLE ONE THAT GOT NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS FUNDING, RECEIVED AN EMAIL THAT THEIR GRANT WAS TERMINATED OR RESCINDED.
WE ARE ASKING THEM TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT, AND WE ARE ASKING FOR STAFF OR WHOEVER THEY WANT TO, TO INVESTIGATE HOW CAN WE HELP THIS SITUATION.
I DO NOT THINK THAT THAT IS LIKE UNHEARD OF.
AND I ALSO AM JUST REALLY GRASPING RIGHT NOW BECAUSE WE'RE USING LIKE NO IMAGINATION, BECAUSE THAT MAY LOOK DIFFERENT FOR EVERY COUNCIL PERSON THAT READS IT, THEY MAY BE LIKE, I'M GONNA CALL THIS FOUNDATION AND SEE IF THEY HAVE ANY RESOURCES.
I'M GONNA CALL THE MELLON FOUNDATION BECAUSE THEY CAME OUT WITH THAT.
MAYBE I CAN ASK THEM BEST PRACTICES.
I THINK ULTIMATELY FOR US HERE, WE NEED CITY COUNCIL TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THIS THING HAS HAPPENED AND COME UP WITH SOME SORT OF SOLUTION OR RESPONSE OR ACTION AS TIMELY AS POSSIBLE.
DO I HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS ON IF THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TOMORROW, NEXT WEEK? NO, I DON'T.
DO I KNOW THE DOLLAR AMOUNT? NO, I DON'T.
BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HAVE A STATEMENT AS A CITY THAT TOTES ITSELF AS THIS ARTS DESTINATION.
AND IF IT'S GONNA GET SO JUST OVER OVERTHOUGHT IN THIS CONVERSATION, THEN I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER MBE.
I WILL WRITE MY OWN LETTER TO MY OWN COUNCIL MEMBER.
I WILL SAY WHAT I WANT AND THEN WE CAN JUST BE DONE WITH IT.
LIKE, I FEEL LIKE WE'RE JUST TALKING IN CIRCLES RIGHT NOW, AND IT'S LIKE NOT A PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
UH, ON THE CONTRARY, I FELT LIKE THAT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE CONVERSATION AND I'M ALL FOR THEM ALL YOU ALL FOR WRITING A LETTER REQUESTING THAT THEY ACKNOWLEDGE IT, NO PROBLEM.
IF WE WANT THEM TO DIRECT STAFF TO FIND FUNDING, EMERGENCY FUNDING, I THINK WE CAN REQUEST THAT AND STAFF CAN DETERMINE THE AMOUNT.
I'M FINE WITH THAT VERSION OF THE LETTER.
AND PLEASE UNDERSTAND, I'M ONLY SPEAKING OUT OF DIRECT FEEDBACK.
WHEN I BROUGHT THIS IDEA TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE WITHIN MY COMMUNITY, THEIR RESPONSE WAS, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
WE'VE ALREADY ANSWERED A SURVEY AND WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
BUT THAT'S MY JOB AS A REPRESENTATIVE, IS TO BRING THAT FORWARD TO.
SO IF WE CAN ALL COOL DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND SAY, WE ALL UNDERSTAND THIS IS HORRIBLE, AND I'M NOT ASKING PEOPLE TO NOT CARE.
I'M JUST SUGGESTING LET'S BE MEASURED AND PROVIDE A, A LETTER THAT MIGHT GET THE RESPONSE WE WANT.
AND WHAT IS THE RESPONSE WE WANT, NOT JUST GENERAL HELP.
WE WANT AN EMERGENCY FUND RUN BY STAFF TO DOLE OUT IN THE NEXT, WHAT, THREE MONTHS.
SO AM I ALLOWED TO MAKE A MOTION? YES.
IF I MAKE A MOTION, ARE YOU WILLING TO WRITE THE RECOMMENDATION? I'LL DO IT.
I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE WRITE A LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL THAT STATES THE NEED, UH, THAT STATES THE EMERGENCY NEED FROM THE NAA CUTS THAT ASKS FOR STAFF TO DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO ALLEVIATE THE DAMAGE FROM THOSE CUTS AND ASK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THE MAYOR TO USE THEIR ACCESS AND PRIVILEGE TO LOCATE THOSE FUNDS AND FIND A SOLUTION WITHIN 90 DAYS.
I NEED A SECOND SCH SMALL BOX SECONDS.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? OH, WE DO HAVE A, IS ANYONE ABSTAINING? NO, I WILL VOTE FORWARD AS STATED, WE HAVE C STAINING AND GRACE STAINING.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE MA OF THE MOTION AS STATED.
WE'VE GOT ANDERSON KEYS, META CHARLA, MALDONADO, GARZA, SCH, MALACH, AND HOUSTON.
COMMISSIONER SCH MALACH, IF YOU'LL WRITE THAT RECOMMENDATION AND SEND IT OUT FOR ME AND THEN I'LL HAVE JESUS SEND IT OUT.
NOW WE ARE ON TO, UH, ITEM NUMBER 11.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE WRAPPING IT UP.
COMMISSIONER GRAND SMALL BOX SCHWAB BOX CHAIR.
[12. Update from the Community Feedback on most recent release of the Cultural Funding Programs Working Group with Commissioner’s Schmalbach, Houston, Keys, and Anderson (Chair) ]
FEEDBACK ON MOST RECENT RELEASE OF CULTURAL FUNDING PROGRAMS, WORKING GROUP WITH COMMISSIONER, SMALL BARON KEYS AND ANDERSON CHAIR.THE, UH, UPDATE IS THAT OUR WORKING GROUP WAS TO BE SWALLOWED BY ACME.
[03:25:02]
IT WASN'T, BUT WE DID STOP THE WORK IN ORDER FOR IT TO BE SWALLOWED BY ACME.SO UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE AN UPDATE OTHER THAN I HAVE SENT AN EMAIL TO ACME REPEATING THE LIST OF PEOPLE AND COPIED ALL OF THOSE PEOPLE ON THAT EMAIL.
SO HOPEFULLY EVERY SINGLE PERSON ON THE WORKING GROUP WILL BE ENGAGED IN SOME MEANINGFUL WAY MOVING FORWARD.
ASSUMING NONE OF THEM WANT TO DO THE 40 HOURS, BUT IF THEY DO, GREAT.
ANY QUESTIONS FOR COMMISSIONER ANDERSON? OKAY, WORKING
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
AGENDA ITEMS. DO WE NEED TO SUNSET THE CULTURAL FUNDING WORKING GROUP? YES.SO FUTURE WORK, FUTURE ITEMS, SUNSET CULTURAL F*****G WORKING GROUP.
WE HAVE AN OUTSTANDING DISCUSSION WITH THE LONG CENTER CONTRACT HOLDER, UH, LIAISON TO GIVE US THE DETAILS OF THE LONG CENTER CONTRACT AND A HOLDING ITEM FOR CONVENTION CENTER REPRESENTATIVE.
TO GIVE US PROJECTIONS ABOUT THE EFFECT OF THE CLOSING OF THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE ALSO NEED TO APPOINT A DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, RIGHT? SO THAT NEEDS TO BE ON NEXT MONTH'S AGENDA.
UM, CALDER CAYMAN SENT AN EMAIL TO THE COMMISSION ABOUT HER RECOMMENDATIONS.
I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT MEETING.
ALL THE COMMISSIONER SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THAT EMAIL THAT JESUS FORWARDED.
UM, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO, UM, PUT ON THE AGENDA DISCUSSION OF THE CITY'S ART MISSION OR POLICY.
UM, WE HAVE TO HAVE ACME OR THE CITY COUNCIL COME UP WITH WHAT THE OVERARCHING POLICY IS SO THAT EVERY YEAR WE'RE NOT CHANGING THE WORDING OF THE APPLICATION TO SAY, TO MAKE SURE THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A SPECIFIC THING.
THAT THIS IS THE OVERARCHING GOAL FOR ART IN AUSTIN AND ALL OF OUR CULTURAL FUNDING WILL BE BASED ON HOW WELL YOU MEET THAT GOAL.
THAT'S THE DISCUSSION THAT WE NEED TO HAVE.
I'D LIKE TO PUT THAT ON THE, THE NEXT AGENDA.
ANYONE ELSE HAVE ANYTHING THAT NEEDS TO BE ON THE NEXT AGENDA? GOT 'EM.
IT IS NOW 9:29 PM I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER GRAY.
NO, WE ARE ADJOURNED UNTIL NEXT MONTH.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WILL.
UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS ABOUT FOUR THINGS THAT SHOULD BE IN THE ARTS POLICY FOR AUSTIN, PLEASE SEND THAT TO ME SO THAT WE CAN DISCUSS THAT AT THE NEXT MEETING.
JUST FOUR THINGS THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT IN THE ARTS POLICY FOR AUSTIN.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.